Variation to Payment of Subscriptions (All Members)

Purpose 

This policy covers a request from a RACMA Member for variation to the payment of annual membership subscriptions. 

The Board acknowledges that a Member (Fellow, Associate Fellow, Affiliate or Candidate) may require the support of the College from time to time when short term, exceptional circumstances apply. 

Policy & Procedure

A  Member may apply in confidence to the Chair Finance and Audit via the Chief Executive for a variation in the payment of  the annual membership subscription.

Any variation so granted shall apply for a twelve month period.

Application for variation

The Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee may, at their discretion, grant a variation to a Member in personal financial difficulty or hardship. 

Circumstances in which a variation may be granted under this Regulation include, but are not limited to where:

1.      A Member has a reduced income of less than AUD $70,000 p/annum.
2.      Where a Member is on maternity/paternity leave and
 

• Works less than 20% across a subscription year;
• Will not be earning additional income from the practice of clinical medicine or medical management or any other form of employment (not earning equivalent to or more than 20% income from work across a subscription year) while on maternity leave;
• Working part-time after childbirth or on official paternity leave, provided that the maximum period in relation to which the concession may apply is 6 – 12 months confinement or paternity leave. Evidence of approval by the employer of the unpaid leave is required to be submitted to the Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee in support of the application.
• Does not exceed 12 months of maternity period (otherwise concession will cease)
• Meets CPD requirements.

Grounds that will not be accepted include:
 

1. If a Member is working in  a field other than in medical administration and wishes to retain Membership of RACMA.
2. If a Member is living overseas or is a Fellow of more than one medical specialty college.
3. If a Member is concurrently training in another specialty.

In the event that a Member who has been granted a concession or exemption fails to advise the College 45 days in advance of the new financial year that a further variation to payment of the annual subscription is requested, then the normal subscription fee associated with the Membership will be invoiced. 

Evidence of support for the changed circumstances including maternity period must be provided to the College. 


Hong Kong College of Community Medicine 

For as long as the RACMA/HKCCM MOU is current, the annual subscription fee for the Hong Kong holder of a RACMA Fellow Membership will be equivalent to 40% of the current RACMA Fellow subscription.


Subscription reductions 
Where a RACMA Member meets the requirements of this policy, the reduced annual membership subscription rate will, unless by special determination of Board, be no less than 50% of the Board’s current fee for the Membership category.

Except in the case of the HKCCM, the annual Membership subscription reduction will be for a one-year period only. 

Requests for reductions must occur on an annual basis in written form to the Chief Executive. 

The Chief Executive will have delegation to approve annual subscriptions according to the above criteria.

The Chief Executive will advise the applicant of the decision in relation to an application for payment of a reduced membership subscription.

Partial payments or instalments

Part-time payments for long term debt will not be accepted, unless special circumstances can be demonstrated, in which case the approval of the Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee will be required. 

The Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee may review a decision granting an exemption or concession if the circumstances under which the decision was made have materially altered; and may, at its absolute discretion, vary the conditions or  revoke the exemption or concession, whether retrospectively or otherwise. 

Review of the decision by the Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee

If a Member believes the decision regarding a variation is unreasonable 
they may seek a review under the Policies for Reconsideration, Review and Appeal of Decisions of the College Committees and Officers.

Related Documents:

RACMA Constitution 2016
Policies for Reconsideration, Review and Appeal of Decisions of the College Committees and Officers

Revised: October 2017