About Medicare Australia
About Us
Medicare Australia is an Australian Government agency, delivering a range of payments and services to the Australian community. Medicare Australia is a prescribed agency under the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 and is a statutory agency under the Public Service Act 1999.
Medicare Australia is responsible to The Hon. Chris Bowen MP, Minister for Financial Services, Superannuation and Corporate Law, and Minister responsible for the Human Services portfolio
. Medicare Australia is part of the Human Services portfolio.
Medicare Australia’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is Ms Lynelle Briggs. Ms Briggs was appointed the CEO of Medicare Australia in August 2009.
Our purpose
Serving the Australian community by assisting in improving health outcomes in Australia.
Medicare Australia works in partnership with the Department of Health and Ageing to achieve the Australian Government's health policy objectives. Our activities are conducted within the government policy framework set by the Department of Health and Ageing, Department of Veterans' Affairs, Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and relevant legislation.
The health programs we administer include:
- Medicare—Australia's universal health care program
- Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
- Australian Childhood Immunisation Register
- Australian Organ Donor Register
- Medicare Teen Dental Plan
- Australian Government 30% Private Health Insurance Rebate
- General Practice Immunisation Incentives Scheme
- Practice Incentives Program
- claims processing and payments for the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (including the Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme), the Office of Hearing Services and the Health Department of Western Australia.
- Family Assistance Office in partnership with other Australian government agencies
- Special assistance schemes (including Bali 2005 Special Assistance, London Assist, Tsunami Healthcare Assistance Scheme and Balimed).
Our history
Medicare Australia, formally the Health Insurance Commission, was established in 1974 to administer the universal health insurance scheme known as Medibank. The Health Insurance Commission was quickly required to change direction when a new government came into power in 1975 and by late 1978, the Health Insurance Commission’s sole function was to run the private health insurance fund, Medibank Private. Within a few years Medibank Private became the market leader in private health insurance Australia-wide. When the Medicare universal care system was introduced in 1983 the Health Insurance Commission won the right to administer the program and by 1998, Medibank Private had separated from the Health Insurance Commission.
Ministry changes announced in 2005 saw changes to the Health Insurance Commission and it moved to the Department of Human Services portfolio along with five other service delivery agencies. Later in 2005, the Health Insurance Commission was renamed Medicare Australia, becoming a statutory agency, rather than a statutory authority, and part of the Australian Public Service.
As well as Medicare, a range of other government programs have been added to the long list of programs and services administered by Medicare Australia.
Governance and strategy
- MoU between Medicare Australia and the Department of Health and Ageing—provides clarity about the respective roles and responsibilities of Medicare Australia and the Department of Health and Ageing.
- Department file lists—list of relevant file titles created by Medicare Australia. This list is published in response to a motion by Senator Harradine requiring that each Minister table indexed lists of file titles created by Central Offices of each department or agency he or she administers.
- Tenders, contracts and grants.
Structure
- Organisational structure—including executive management, national office management, state management and our organisational chart.
Reports and statements
- Service charter—our service delivery strategy statement.
- Annual reports—view Medicare Australia’s annual reports since 2002-2003.
- Environmental management statement [PDF, 370Kb]
—demonstrates Medicare Australia’s ongoing commitment to environmental management. - Legal services expenditure 2008-2009—this is a statement of legal services expenditure published in accordance with paragraph 11.1(ba) of the Legal Services Directions 2005.
Medicare Australia and the Australian Government
- Department of Human Services—how the Department of Human Services is improving service delivery for people needing assistance.
Facts and figures
- Facts and figures—some interesting information about Medicare Australia.
- Fraud—information about fraud and how to report suspected fraud against Medicare Australia.
Some documents on this page may require the free Adobe PDF reader.
Last updated: 20 August, 2010
