Clause 17

Upon receipt of an application made under section 15, the Medifund committee designated to approve such applications from such class of eligible patients of such approved institutions for the purposes of this Part may, if it thinks fit and subject to the availability of moneys in the Medifund Account, approve the application of any eligible patient of any approved institution in that class and authorise in writing payments of such amount as it thinks fit out of the Medifund Account to the approved institution to defray in whole or in part the hospital charges, fees and other expenses incurred by that eligible patient.

The Medifund committee shall, in considering any application and authorising payment, comply with any regulations made under this Act and any directive and guideline issued by the Minister under section 7(2).

The Medifund committee may consider any other circumstances which, in the opinion of the committee, is relevant to the application.

Notwithstanding subsection (1), a Medifund committee may authorise any person to approve the application by any eligible patient in exceptional circumstances and when the payment does not exceed such amount as may be specified in any directive or guideline issued under section 7(2).

Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require a Medifund committee or an authorised person referred to in subsection (4) to approve the application of every patient who satisfies the requirements under section 15.