Regulation Impact Statement – Department of Health
On 6 October, the Australian Government announced changes to the Voucher stream of the Hearing Services Program (HSP).
The current HSP model does not always deliver services aligned with clinical need and contemporary service delivery, nor does it account for significant advancements in hearing aid technology. These reforms are designed to improve service delivery for consumers, ensure providers can meet the increasing demand for hearing services and enhance government efficiency of the HSP model.
The Office of Best Practice Regulation (OBPR) assessed the Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) prepared by the Department of Health as adequate against the Government’s impact analysis requirements. To be consistent with good practice, the RIS required further depth of analysis of the impacts on businesses and individuals. In addition, it would have been consistent with good practice for consultation to be undertaken before a decision was made.
The RIS estimates the regulatory costs at $4.15m over ten years or an average annual cost of $0.415m.