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  • Circulars
    • 2008
      • 08/26
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Circular No 08/26

General PHIAC Circulars

PHIAC – CORPORATE RESTRUCTURE

At its recent annual strategic planning day, the Council re-examined its strategic positioning to ensure that it continues to remain fully aligned with its statutory and regulatory obligations. The Council concluded that PHIAC should reassign resources to ensure that it:

• it is able to fully implement the range of new responsibilities conferred upon it by the Private Health Insurance Act 2007 (the PHI Act)

• has a full command of the expanded range of regulatory responses now at its disposal

• can deal quickly and effectively in the (unlikely) event that there is a major prudential crisis within the PHI industry.

The Council also determined that PHIAC should bring a stronger focus to its statutory role of protecting the interests of consumers of private health insurance.

Strategic vision

Drawing on the three statutory objectives for the Council as set out in section 264-5 of the PHI Act, the Council has adopted the following vision statement:

Protecting consumers of private health insurance. Ensuring a well-run and competitive industry

Practical consequences

A number of positions have been re-described and a number of PHIAC staff will now be performing different, more strategically aligned work. (PHIAC Organisational Structure)

In addition the Council has recruited Neil Smith, previously a senior Department of Health and Ageing officer, into the role of General Manager, Industry Operations and General Counsel. Neil will comprise, along with Paul Groenewegen, a second tier of management within PHIAC responsible for delivering a challenging range of new projects. (Staff Contact Details)

Going forward into 2009, PHIAC will invest more in:

• modelling and analytical functions to ensure that the Council is well apprised of all relevant developments (particularly in light of its new power to intervene on a preventative basis in some circumstances)

• developing procedures outlining how PHIAC will administer the new legislative responsibilities, having regard to the range of new powers that have been conferred upon the Council

• redesigning the PHIAC website. This will include a substantial revamp of how the Council can meet the information needs of consumers as well as the industry and government

• rolling out a suite of prudential standards in exercise of the Council’s powers under section 163 of the PHI Act. (A draft standard on Corporate Governance is already circulating within the industry for comment) (Circular 08/24)

• greater reliance on electronic, as distinct from paper-based, methods for distribution of PHIAC’s information (PHIAC will, however, continue to produce some paper-based versions of its material to service persons who do not have ready access to computers).

PHIAC welcomes comment and observations from the industry and consumers on the restructure. Comments should be addressed to:

Mr Shaun Gath
Chief Executive Officer
Private Health Insurance Administration Council
PO Box 4549
KINGSTON ACT 2604

Or by email: phiac@phiac.gov.au marked ‘Corporate Restructure’.