TASMANIA MEDICARE LOCAL - Stakeholder Update
Medicare Local Tasmania - Stakeholder Update - 18 November 2011
Updated 31 August 2011
A MEDICARE LOCAL FOR TASMANIA - Recent Developments
Updated 8 June 2011
MEDICARE LOCAL NETWORK FOR TASMANIA
Tasmania Division Network selected as one of the country's first Medicare Locals
Updated 2 May 2011
Board's agree to submit first round Medicare Local Application
Published 21 March 2011
MEDICARE LOCALS - INVITATION TO APPLY
Extract from Your Health website.
The Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing is inviting applications to establish Medicare Locals across Australia.
Approximately 15 Medicare Locals will commence in July 2011. A further 15 will commence in January 2012, with the remainder starting in July 2012.
The first group of Medicare Locals will be drawn from high performing Divisions of General Practice, preferably working in consortia with other high performing organisations with the advanced capacity needed to lead primary health care reforms in their catchment, and who have the capacity to take on the roles and functions expected under the new arrangements. The subsequent groups of Medicare Locals will build on the expertise and capacity of existing primary care organisations, particularly Divisions of General Practice as well as other primary health care organisations and service providers.
Applications for Medicare Locals to commence in July 2011 close on 5 April 2011. Applications for Medicare Locals to commence in 2012 close on 19 July 2011.
For more information go to www.yourhealth.gov.au.
WHAT ARE MEDICARE LOCALS
A key component of the Australian Government’s National Health Reforms is the establishment of a new nation-wide network of Medicare Locals to be locally responsive, to address local needs, to improve access to services and to drive integration across the health care system.
Medicare Locals will have a number of key roles in improving primary health care services for local communities.
- They will make it easier for patients to access the services they need, by linking local GPs, nursing and other health professionals, hospitals and aged care, and maintaining up to date local service directories.
- They will work closely with Local Hospital Networks to make sure that primary health care services and hospitals work well together for their patients.
- They will plan and support local after hours face-to-face GP services.
- They will identify where local communities are missing out on services they might need and coordinate services to address those gaps.
- They will support local primary care providers, such as GPs, practice nurses and allied health providers, to adopt and meet quality standards.
- They will be accountable to local communities to make sure the services are effective and of high quality.
MEDICARE LOCALS and LOCAL HOSPITAL NETWORK BOUNDARIES
The Government recently announced there will be more Medicare Locals to ensure local responsiveness. As a result, the Commonwealth is re-examining the existing Medicare Local catchments. The review will be undertaken in consultation with states and territories and will be finalised by April 2011.
Applicants seeking consideration in the first group of Medicare Locals should base their proposals on the publicly released Medicare Local boundaries as at 23 December 2010.
Published by GPN 16 February 2011 (via Wednesday Fax)
COAG - NEW HEADS OF AGREEMENT ON NATIONAL HEALTH REFORM
The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) have agreed to a new deal on health between the Australian Government and States and Territories and will invest a guaranteed extra $19.8 billion in public hospitals As part of the approach to the National Health Reform the Australian Government will have a renewed focus on the delivery of stronger primary health care to get people the services they need in their local communities and keep people well and out of hospital. Implementation of these reforms will include stronger clinical engagement to ensure that the voices of clinicians all over the country are heard in the process. More information including the Heads of Agreement can be found at the Health Reform website. www.yourhealth.gov.au
PUBLISHED by GPN 8 December 2010
MEMBERS FORUM
The Division hosted a Members Forum to discuss Health Reform with its members on Tuesday, 7 December. If you are a GP member and would like more information in relation to what was discussed at the forum, you can email
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or phone the Division on 6331 9296.
Pre-reading material :
PUBLISHED by GPN, 3 November 2010
MEDICARE LOCALS - Discussion Paper on Governance and Functions
The Federal Government has released a new discussion paper on Medicare Locals and they are seeking comments and feedback -unfortunately, it has a very short response/submission timeframe of 15th November 2010!
The Government is inviting submissions from interested persons and the Board of General Practice North wishes to encourage any member with interest or comment to feed this back to the Government.
Details of how to provide comment are included in the discussion paper. Medicare Locals - Discussion Paper. We have added some additional background. Medicare Locals Northern Member Briefing.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact Phil Edmondson on (03) 6331 9296 or email
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PUBLISHED 5 August 2010
GP groups call for proposed practice nurse funding models to be adjusted - UGPA Media Release
PUBLISHED 25 June 2010
Health Reform Update. Health Reform Update No. 2 as at 24 June 2010
PUBLISHED by GPN 13 May 2010
2010 Federal Budget : Implications for General Practice
By now many of our members will have been made aware of various elements of last nights budget – including the substantial new investment in primary care required to balance the strong recent focus on hospital networks and inpatient care.
As a summary for those who want a dot point version applicable to Tasmania:
- Divisions required to ‘transform’ into Primary Health Care Organisations (PHCO’s) by June 2012 – these to work alongside Local Hospital Networks. Responsibility for focusing on service gaps, supporting GPs and other primary health care providers, enhancing access for hard to reach groups and populations, and developing solutions to locally evident health problems and needs. General Practice to remain centre and forefront of these organisations.
- Practice nurse MBS items to be axed from June 2012 and replaced with PIP based payment of $25,000 per FTE GP to employ registered nurses. This to be loaded for rurality and remoteness. Smaller amounts for enrolled nurses.
- Increased resourcing and localized development and implementation of more robust after hours care services. Reduction over time in the PIP based AHC subsidy.
- Diabetes packaged care (additional to FFS episodic care) including allied health payments available to practices for registered Type 2 DM patients in practices willing to participate.
- Comprehensive investment in the development of the framework and infrastructure for patient controlled electronic health records – to commence in July 2012 on a patient determined opt in basis.
- Limited new investment in mental health through provision of additional ATAPS funds targeted at higher level needs patients than those currently eligible for ATAPS services.
- Apparent removal of mental health Occupational Therapists and Social Workers from the list of providers eligible to claim for rebates under the MBS Better Access program. Community based providers under these programs will be required to privately bill patients.
- 23 new super clinics – not known where these will be situated around the country.
- Urban practices eligible for competitive infrastructure grants to varying levels in order to augment service and operational capacity.
These measures are additional to other measures already announced in recent months.
For more detailed information AGPN Federal Budget 2010 Analysis
PUBLISHED BY GPN 21 April 2010
Health Reform - At a Glance
To assist members in understanding what is currently a complex and confusing landscape, we have jointly prepared a “National Health Reform : At A Glance ” document (dated 21 April) that will help interested members to navigate this flurry of activity.
It is important that members understand that the Reform process is most substantially about tertiary level care – that is the hospital system. However, primary care and general practice care is strongly acknowledged as being a fundamental component of a successful system.
Changes that are proposed in the primary care arena are primarily focused on building an effective and responsive health care system at community level around general practice. What is being proposed is not about reforming general practice. In all its discussion to date, the Federal Government has consistently maintained that general practice is at the core of a successful system and that reforms must preserve the strength and functional independence of the general practitioner.
One of the principal reasons that general practice will come through such a major reform process substantially unchanged and indeed centrally reinforced, is because of the strength of advocacy provided throughout the entirety of the reform process to date by the Divisions Network and the other GP representative groups. Had this advocacy not been so consistent and strong it is unlikely that general practice would occupy such a strong position today.
We urge members to take the time to familiarize themselves with what is proposed for the National health landscape and we welcome any questions or comments that may help to shape the thinking of the General Practice North Board around the role that it may play in support of general practice and primary care in the future. Feel free to contact any Board members or the CEO with your questions or comments.
Other documents of interest:
