2018 Premium Rate Increase

Ben Fairless made this Freedom of Information request to Minister for Health

This request has been closed to new correspondence from the public body. Contact us if you think it ought be re-opened.

The request was refused by Minister for Health.

Dear Minister for Health,

I understand that each Health Fund makes a submission to the Department or the Minister in order for the Minister to approve an increase in the cost of Private Health Insurance.

I would like a copy of documents related to the 2018 Private health insurance premium round process. These include:
1. Submissions or requests to the Minister by Private Health Insurers to increase the cost of Private Health Insurance
2. Correspondence between the Minister, his office, the Department of Health and the relevant health funds
3. Approval or rejection notices provided by the Minister.

I am happy to exclude from this request as irrelevant under s.22 of the Freedom of Information Act:
1. Duplicates of Documents, including email chains. I am happy for the department to provide a single email chain that contains all relevant replies instead of processing each reply as a seperate document.
2. Direct contact details, including email addresses, direct telephone numbers and mobile telephone numbers. These can be redacted
3. Personally identifiable information or sensitive information of individuals who are not employed by either the Health Insurance company, the Department or the Ministers office.

I want to make it clea that I do not consider information other than the exempt information above to be irrelevant to my request. I note that the FOI Guidelines state that "Where public servants’ personal information is included in a document because of their usual duties or responsibilities, it would not be unreasonable to disclose unless special circumstances existed."

Please process this request administratively (or informally) if possible in order to reduce the taxpayer funds spent on this request. If it cannot be processed administratively, please consider it a Formal request under the Freedom of Information Act.

Yours faithfully,

Ben Fairless

FOI, Minister for Health

Attention: Ben Fairless

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST – NOTIFICATION OF TRANSFER FROM ANOTHER AGENCY

I am writing to notify you that the Department of Health (Department) has accepted transfer of your request to the Minister for Health (in your below email) for access to documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act).

The Department will take all reasonable steps to notify you of a decision no later than 30 calendar days after the date your request was received. You will be contacted where a charge is applied for processing your request or if we need to consult a third party.

Unless you advise otherwise, duplicate documents and Commonwealth employee names and contact details below Senior Executive Service level and mobile telephone numbers of all staff will be excluded from the scope of your request under s22(1)(a)(ii) of the FOI Act.

You can contact the FOI Unit on (02) 6289 1666, or via email at [email address], should you have any enquiries.

Regards

FOI Unit

Legal Advice & Legislation Branch
Legal & Assurance Division
Australian Government Department of Health
T: (02) 6289 1666 | E: [Minister for Health request email]

PO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia

The Department of Health acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to elders both past and present.

Katrina Carbone
FOI Officer

Legal Advice & Legislation Branch
Legal & Assurance Division
Australian Government Department of Health
T: (02) 6289 1718 | E: [email address]
Location: 3.S.503 workstation number

PO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia

The Department of Health acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to elders both past and present.

-----Original Message-----
From: Ben Fairless [mailto:[FOI #4633 email]]
Sent: Tuesday, 5 June 2018 10:06 PM
To: FOI
Subject: Freedom of Information request - 2018 Premium Rate Increase [SEC=No Protective Marking]

Dear Minister for Health,

I understand that each Health Fund makes a submission to the Department or the Minister in order for the Minister to approve an increase in the cost of Private Health Insurance.

I would like a copy of documents related to the 2018 Private health insurance premium round process. These include:
1. Submissions or requests to the Minister by Private Health Insurers to increase the cost of Private Health Insurance 2. Correspondence between the Minister, his office, the Department of Health and the relevant health funds 3. Approval or rejection notices provided by the Minister.

I am happy to exclude from this request as irrelevant under s.22 of the Freedom of Information Act:
1. Duplicates of Documents, including email chains. I am happy for the department to provide a single email chain that contains all relevant replies instead of processing each reply as a seperate document.
2. Direct contact details, including email addresses, direct telephone numbers and mobile telephone numbers. These can be redacted 3. Personally identifiable information or sensitive information of individuals who are not employed by either the Health Insurance company, the Department or the Ministers office.

I want to make it clea that I do not consider information other than the exempt information above to be irrelevant to my request. I note that the FOI Guidelines state that "Where public servants’ personal information is included in a document because of their usual duties or responsibilities, it would not be unreasonable to disclose unless special circumstances existed."

Please process this request administratively (or informally) if possible in order to reduce the taxpayer funds spent on this request. If it cannot be processed administratively, please consider it a Formal request under the Freedom of Information Act.

Yours faithfully,

Ben Fairless

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #4633 email]

Is [Minister for Health request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information requests to Minister for Health? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://www.righttoknow.org.au/change_re...

This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:
https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...

If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

______________________________________________________________________
"Important: This transmission is intended only for the use of the addressee and may contain confidential or legally privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that any use or dissemination of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you receive this transmission in error please notify the author immediately and delete all copies of this transmission."

hide quoted sections

Dear FOI,

I’ve already set my s22 exemptions. Don’t add any more.

Yours sincerely,

Ben Fairless

FOI, Minister for Health

2 Attachments

Dear Mr Fairless.
 
Please find enclosed a Notice pursuant to s24AB of the Freedom of
Information Act 1982.
 
 
Regards
 
François Murat
Senior FOI Adviser
Legal Advice & Legislation Branch
Legal & Assurance Division
Australian Government Department of Health
T: (02) 6289 1666 | E: [1][Minister for Health request email]
 
PO Box 9848, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
 
The Department of Health acknowledges the traditional owners of country
throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, sea and
community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to elders
both past and present. 
 
 
 
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Ben Fairless
[[2]mailto:[FOI #4633 email]]
Sent: Tuesday, 5 June 2018 10:06 PM
To: FOI
Subject: Freedom of Information request - 2018 Premium Rate Increase
[SEC=No Protective Marking]
 
Dear Minister for Health,
 
I understand that each Health Fund makes a submission to the Department or
the Minister in order for the Minister to approve an increase in the cost
of Private Health Insurance.
 
I would like a copy of documents related to the 2018 Private health
insurance premium round process. These include:
1. Submissions or requests to the Minister by Private Health Insurers to
increase the cost of Private Health Insurance 2. Correspondence between
the Minister, his office, the Department of Health and the relevant health
funds 3. Approval or rejection notices provided by the Minister.
 
I am happy to exclude from this request as irrelevant under s.22 of the
Freedom of Information Act:
1. Duplicates of Documents, including email chains. I am happy for the
department to provide a single email chain that contains all relevant
replies instead of processing each reply as a seperate document.
2. Direct contact details, including email addresses, direct telephone
numbers and mobile telephone numbers. These can be redacted 3. Personally
identifiable information or sensitive information of individuals who are
not employed by either the Health Insurance company, the Department or the
Ministers office.
 
I want to make it clea that I do not consider information other than the
exempt information above to be irrelevant to my request. I note that the
FOI Guidelines state that "Where public servants’ personal information is
included in a document because of their usual duties or responsibilities,
it would not be unreasonable to disclose unless special circumstances
existed."
 
Please process this request administratively (or informally) if possible
in order to reduce the taxpayer funds spent on this request. If it cannot
be processed administratively, please consider it a Formal request under
the Freedom of Information Act.
 
Yours faithfully,
 
Ben Fairless
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #4633 email]
 
Is [Minister for Health request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information requests
to Minister for Health? If so, please contact us using this form:
[3]https://www.righttoknow.org.au/change_re...
 
This request has been made by an individual using Right to Know. This
message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet.
More information on how Right to Know works can be found at:
[4]https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...
 
If you find this service useful as an FOI officer, please ask your web
manager to link to us from your organisation's FOI page.
 
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
 
 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Important: This transmission is intended only for the use of the
addressee and may contain confidential or legally privileged information.
If you are not the intended recipient, you are notified that any use or
dissemination of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you receive
this transmission in error please notify the author immediately and delete
all copies of this transmission."

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[Minister for Health request email]
2. mailto:[FOI #4633 email]
3. https://www.righttoknow.org.au/change_re...
4. https://www.righttoknow.org.au/help/offi...

hide quoted sections