Prostheses List Advisory Committee (PLAC)

Its primary role is to advise the Minister about the listing of prostheses and their appropriate benefits in the Prostheses List. The List is made under the Private Health Insurance Act 2007 and the Private Health Insurance (Prostheses) Rules which require private health insurers to pay benefits for those prostheses. The Prostheses List arrangements, the PLAC and its predecessor, the PDC, were established to control inflation in private health insurance benefits paid for prostheses. The Prostheses List plays an important role in ensuring the sustainability of the Australian private health insurance system, and helps to achieve the Government's policy objective of ensuring private health insurance remains affordable and accessible to all Australians. The committee is comprised of an independent Chair and a wide range of experts in health technology assessments, specialist surgery and interventional work, and health economics, and a consumer representative. Representatives from private hospital associations, the medical technology industry and private health insurance also attend each meeting. In the 2021-22 Federal Budget, the Government has committed $22 million over four years to improve the Prostheses List and its arrangements. As part of this measure, the Prostheses List Advisory Committee's role, structure and functions will be reviewed. Chair only appointed by Minister.