We are seeking feedback to inform a National Dementia Action Plan.
The National Dementia Action Plan is a joint initiative between the Australian Government and state and territory governments. It is a 10 year plan to put people living with dementia, their families, and carers at the centre of all action on dementia.
The National Dementia Action Plan will provide a vision where Australians understand dementia – people living with dementia and their...More
PBS Post-market Review Framework
The Department of Health and Aged Care is inviting stakeholders to provide feedback on a revised draft of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) Post-market Review (PMR) Framework.
Stakeholders will have the opportunity to engage and provide feedback on the revised draft of the 2022 PMR Framework. The diverse perspectives, experience and knowledge of all stakeholders is highly valued and will contribute to the...More
The National Preventive Health Strategy 2021-2030 outlines Australia’s overarching, long-term approach to prevention. The aim of the National Preventive Health Strategy is to create a sustainable prevention system for all Australians, with a particular focus on the wider determinants of health, reducing health inequity and addressing the increasing burden of disease. This will help all Australians live in good health and wellbeing for as long as possible.
The...More
The EFC Program provides funding for chemotherapy and other medicines used for the treatment of cancer that are administered through infusion or injection at public or private hospitals. Not all cancer medicines are provided through the EFC Program; some may be subsidised through other sections of the broader Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
The Australian Government is undertaking a review of the EFC Program to examine current EFC arrangements and the associated...More
The Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) is a list of health professional services (items) that the Australian Government subsidises. MBS items provide patient benefits for a wide range of health services including consultations, diagnostic tests, therapy, and operations.
In 2021, the Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS) Continuous Review was established to ensure the MBS continues to support high-quality care, remains flexible, and stays up to date. The MBS Continuous Review involves...More
The Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) is a list of health professional services (items) that the Australian Government subsidises. MBS items provide patient benefits for a wide range of health services including consultations, diagnostic tests, therapy, and operations.
In 2021, the Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS) Continuous Review was established to ensure the MBS continues to support high-quality care, remains flexible, and stays up to date. The MBS Continuous Review...More
The Department of Health invites submissions in relation to a proposal to introduce a cost recovered pathway for applications received from commercial entities seeking reimbursement decisions from the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC).
This proposal is to introduce a cost recovered pathway for the following application types received, from commercial entities:
codependent technologies (medical services and health technologies that...More
Please visit our new engagement hub for the latest updates on the Australian Cancer Plan.
Cancer touches every Australian in some way.
Across Australia, health professionals, charities and other organisations are working tirelessly to care for and support people affected by cancer. Researchers are seeking new ways of preventing, diagnosing, treating and living with the disease in all its forms. And governments, policy makers and industry groups are developing plans,...More
National Initial Assessment and Referral for Mental Healthcare for children and adolescents
Consultation Drafts - Survey
As part of the 2021-22 Budget, the Australian Government announced $34.2 million to expand and implement the Initial Assessment and Referral (IAR) tool into primary care settings to support General Practitioners, allied health professionals and referrers to determine a consistent and appropriate level of care for a person presenting for mental health assistance,...More
The Australian Government is seeking to align regulation across the aged care, disability support and veterans’ care sectors. The 2021-22 Budget included a range of measures that form a short to longer term program of reform.
The Department of Health, the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (NDIS Commission), the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC), the Department of Social Services (DSS) and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) are working together to deliver on...More
The Department of Health is undertaking a two-stage consultation process to inform thinking around primary health care data and the use of electronic clinical decision support systems in primary health care. The two topics have been combined into a single Issues Paper given the overlap in stakeholders and links between primary health care data and eCDS in the broader health care ecosystem. The combined process will enable stakeholders to consider and share their views regarding one or both...More
Future focused primary health care: Australia’s Primary Health Care 10 Year Plan 2022-2032
Consultation Draft - Survey
The Consultation Draft of the Primary Health Care 10 Year Plan (the plan) draws on input from consultations with individuals and organisations across the country from late 2019 to mid-2021. The plan represents a high level response to the recommendations of the Primary Health Reform Steering Group (Steering Group) which has been...More
The Department of Health is seeking input and feedback on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Genomics Health Guiding Principles (the Guiding Principles) and the associated Guiding Principles Summary Document.
The Guiding Principles have been developed by the Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group (Advisory Group) on Health Genomics. The Advisory Group consists of predominantly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members with relevant expertise in genomics,...More
Obesity is a complex condition affecting our whole community. A range of social, environmental, and economic factors contribute to obesity and impact a person’s ability to maintain a healthy weight. If the current trend continues, more than 18 million Australians (two-thirds of our projected population) will be overweight or obese by 2030. Addressing overweight and obesity in Australia requires a multi-faceted, community wide approach delivered through a range of initiatives, sectors, and...More
The Australian Medical Research and Innovation Strategy (Strategy) is determined by the Australian Medical Research Advisory Board (AMRAB). The current Strategy covers the period 2016-2021, with the next Strategy (2021-2026) to be registered before 8 November 2021. The Medical Research Future Fund Act 2015 (MRFF Act) requires AMRAB to undertake a consultation process before determining a Strategy.
The Australian Medical Research and Innovation Priorities ...More
The National Key Performance Indicators for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health care (nKPIs) collects information from organisations that are funded under the Indigenous Australians’ Health Programme to provide primary health care services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. These organisations report in June and December each year on a set of 24 indicators, endorsed by the Australian Health Minister’s Advisory Council in 2011 and collected since 2012,...More
The Efficient Funding of Chemotherapy (EFC) Program provides funding for chemotherapy medicines used for the treatment of cancer that are administered through infusion or injection at public or private hospitals. Not all chemotherapy medicines are provided through the EFC Program, but may be subsidised through the broader Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
In the 2020-21 Budget, the Government announced a review of the current EFC Program. The review will look at the impact...More
On 14 August 2020, the Hon Mark Coulton, Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government, announced a review into the Hearing Services Program.
An Independent Expert Panel comprising Professor Mike Woods (Chair) and Dr Zena Burgess is conducting the Review. The Expert Panel is supported by a Secretariat from the Department of Health.
Stakeholder and community consultation is a key part of the Review. The first consultation included inviting...More
Health services funded under the Indigenous Australians’ Health Programme (IAHP) collect and supply important Indigenous health data sets to the Department of Health as part of their funding agreements. These are the:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander National Key Performance Indicators (nKPI)—a set of indicators that are collected twice a year at the health service level and which aggregate information on the regular clients that a health service sees.
...More
Preventive health is a key pillar of Australia’s Long Term National Health Plan with mental health.
In June 2019, the Minister for Health, the Hon Greg Hunt MP announced that the Australian Government would develop a 10-year National Preventive Health Strategy (the Strategy). In April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Minister agreed to delay the public consultation process and extend the timeframe of the Strategy until 2021.
An Expert Steering...More
The Medical Research Future Fund’s (MRFF) Indigenous Health Research Fund (IHRF) was announced in February 2019 to provide $160 million for research to improve the health of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.
An Expert Advisory Panel was appointed in September 2019 to provide advice to the Minister for Health on the strategic priorities for research investment through the IHRF.
As per the MRFF Mission Governance document , the Expert Advisory Panel is to provide...More
Reform of the food regulatory system
In March 2020, the Australian New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation (the Forum) endorsed an implementation plan for an ambitious reform agenda for the food regulatory system aimed at ensuring the system remains strong, robust and agile into the future. The reform agenda is being progressed through a number of interconnected projects.
This consultation is part of the first stage of the Review of the Intergovernmental Food Regulation...More
Since 2002, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been able to have their status recorded confidentially on a database called the Voluntary Indigenous Identifier (VII).
The VII is primarily used to estimate use of the Medicare Benefits Scheme by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This information, grouped together to produce statistical reports, appears in a range of publications and is used to:
improve policies focused on access to health programs and...More
On 14 August 2020, the Hon Mark Coulton, Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government, announced a review into the Hearing Services Program.
An Independent Panel made up of Professor Mike Woods (Chair) and Dr Zena Burgess will conduct the Review, with the support of an Australian Government Department of Health Secretariat.
The public consultation phase is a key part of the Review.
The Hearing Services Program Review Consultation...More
Background
In January 2020, the Minister for Health, the Hon Greg Hunt MP, released the Interim Advice from the National Dust Disease Taskforce. A copy of the Interim Advice and Minister’s media release can be found under Related Documents.
Why we are consulting
The intent of this second phase of consultation is to obtain feedback on the Interim Advice, with a particular focus on further investigating the initial findings and progressing the early...More
We know the importance of investing in Australia’s young people, and believe in their power to create positive change.
For us to achieve meaningful change now and into the future, we must involve young people in the decisions that affect them.
To inform the development of the National Youth Policy Framework, we have created a national survey for young people aged 18 and over.
The survey gives young Australians a chance to tell us their views on what is important to them. It...More
Consistent with the Medical Research Future Fund Act 2015 (the Act), the independent Australian Medical Research Advisory Board (AMRAB) is conducting a consultation to develop the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Australian Medical Research and Innovation Priorities 2020-22 (the Priorities) . The 2020-22 Priorities must be tabled in the Australian Parliament by 6 November 2020 .
The Priorities are considered by the Minister for Health before...More
Cancer Australia has invited the public to have their say on the National Pancreatic Cancer Roadmap through this dedicated Consultation Hub.
The National Pancreatic Cancer Roadmap Consultation Hub is now closed. Cancer Australia thanks all those who contributed to the Roadmap through the public consultation. Please visit the Cancer Australia website for further updates on the progress of the Roadmap.
On 23 March 2020, the Minister for Health, the Hon. Greg Hunt MP...More
Informing the National Preventive Health Strategy
Preventive health is a key pillar of Australia’s Long Term National Health Plan.
As announced by the Minister for Health, the Hon Greg Hunt MP in June 2019 , the Australian Government is developing a 10-year National Preventive Health Strategy (the Strategy).
Due to the emergence of COVID-19, the development of the Strategy was paused. The Strategy will now be developed by March 2021 .
A Consultation Paper has been...More