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PHI 08/10

This circular issued by the Private Health Insurance Branch contains information regarding the Status of Human Tissue Review and Update on Human Tissue Applications

PDF Printable version of PHI 08/10 (PDF 34 KB)

17 February 2010

Status of Human Tissue Review and Update on Human Tissue Applications

Purpose

The purpose of this Circular is to inform industry:

• of the status of the Human Tissue Review; and
• that no new autologous or complex human tissues items will be considered for inclusion on the Prostheses List until the Human Tissue Review is finalised.

Background

The Human Tissue Review commenced in 2009 and includes the consideration of the appropriateness of autologous products as well as appropriate processes for the assessment of complex human tissues and new technologies for listing on the Prostheses List. This Review is the first step to address the recommendations of the Doyle Report that relate to human tissue products. This review is expected to be completed mid 2010.

The Report of the Review of the Prostheses Listing Arrangements, October 2007 (the Doyle Report) recommends that “Items currently included on the list that do not meet the criteria for listing as a prosthesis and autologous tissue products should be removed by no later than December 2008.” The Government has since agreed for this recommendation to be implemented and the Human Tissue Review will address and make recommendations in relation to autologous items.

Recommendation 15 of the Doyle Report includes: the Department of Health and Ageing should also carry out a comprehensive review of existing benefit levels for human tissue items, informed by cost-accounting data provided by tissue banks, by June 2010; and the Department should ensure it has appropriate clinical expertise available to provide advice to the Minister on the listing of human tissue items.

Since the Doyle Report was published no new autologous products or new technologies have been included on Part B Human Tissue of the Prostheses List. Until the review is finalised no new applications for these types of products i.e. products that do not have a comparator already listed will not be considered for listing on the Prostheses List.

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If you require further information please telephone: (02) 6289 9853/24 hr answering machine or email the enquiry to PrivateHealth@health.gov.au
Internet: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/health-phicirculars2010-index1
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