| Program 3.1 – Medicare Services | ||
|---|---|---|
| Indicator: | Number of Medicare rebates provided. | |
| Reference Point/Target: | Medicare rebates will be provided for an estimated 294 million services, representing approximately 13.7 services per capita. | |
| Note: The figures in this indicator were amended from ‘288 million’ and ‘13.5’ to ‘294 million’ and ‘13.7’ respectively in the 2008–09 Health and Ageing Portfolio Additional Estimates, to reflect the inclusion of additional initiatives, including the continuation of the Chronic Disease Dental program to the end of the 2008 calendar year. | ||
| Result: Indicator met. | ||
| Medicare rebates were provided for 294 million services, representing 13.6 services per capita. This compares with 279 million services (13.1 per capita) in 2007–08 and 258 million (12.3 per capita)in 2006–07. | ||
| Indicator: | Effective communication to providers and patients to maximise utilisation of the Medicare Teen Dental Plan. | |
| Reference Point/Target: | 1.1 million vouchers to be provided to eligible children and teenagers annually and program information provided to approximately 9,000 dentists. Utilisation will be measured by the uptake of the preventative dental check by patients and providers. | |
| Result: Indicator met. | ||
| The Department, working with Medicare Australia, provided 1.3 million vouchers to eligible children and teenagers for a preventative dental check in 2008. The provision of vouchers for the 2009 annual preventative dental check began in January 2009 and will continue throughout the year. As at 30 June 2009, 459,691 vouchers had been utilised. The Department also provided information about the Medicare Teen Dental Plan to the dental profession by direct mail-out to 8,653 dentists and through the Department’s website via factsheets and an electronic schedule. | ||
| Program 3.2 – Alternative Funding for Health Service Provision | ||
|---|---|---|
| Indicator: | Timely administration of alternative funding programs. | |
| Reference Point/Target: | Applications and conditions of grants are processed within agreed timelines. | |
| Result: Indicator met. | ||
| The Department administered three program grants according to the contractual schedule, to organisations that provide primary health care services to the disadvantaged and homeless, and services to visually impaired people which either could not be funded through Medicare due to patient access barriers or could not be funded as efficiently through Medicare. The Department also provided financial assistance to ten Australians with life threatening medical conditions to receive proven life-saving medical treatment overseas. | ||
| Program 3.3 – Diagnostic Imaging Services | ||
|---|---|---|
| Indicator: | Funding of high quality, relevant diagnostic imaging services. | |
| Reference Point/Target: | Medicare rebates will be provided for an estimated 17 million diagnostic imaging services representing approximately 0.8 services per capita. | |
| Note: The figures in this indicator were amended from ‘12 million’ and ‘0.6’ to ‘17 million’ and ‘0.8’ respectively in the 2008–09 Health and Ageing Portfolio Additional Estimates, to reflect updated statistics and data. | ||
| Result: Indicator met. | ||
| Medicare rebates were provided for around 17.3 million diagnostic imaging services representing approximately 0.8 services per capita. This compares with 16.5 million services in 2007–08, and 15.7 million in 2006–07. A major achievement for this year was the implementation of Stage 1 of the Diagnostic Imaging Accreditation Scheme. Under Stage 1, which concludes on 30 June 2010, practices providing radiology services are required to provide documentary evidence demonstrating compliance with entry level standards. These standards will ensure that patients receive a high quality, safe and effective service regardless of who provides the service or where the service is provided. There are around 2,800 practices participating in the scheme. | ||
| Indicator: | Expansion of Medicare-eligible magnetic resonance imaging services throughout Australia. | |
| Reference Point/Target: | Up to 127 Medicare-eligible magnetic resonance imaging units in 2008–09. | |
| Result: Indicator substantially met. | ||
| The number of Medicare-eligible magnetic resonance imaging units operating across Australia rose from 113 to 120 in 2008–09. The Department’s Invitation to Apply process was unable to find a suitable applicant to provide a viable service in north-west Tasmania. The selection process was closed and the funds redirected to three health projects benefiting the residents of north-west Tasmania. One process is still underway and the remaining five magnetic resonance imaging units are expected to be in place in 2009–10. | ||
| Program 3.4 – Pathology Services | ||
|---|---|---|
| Indicator: | All Medicare-eligible pathology laboratories are capable of meeting national pathology accreditation standards. | |
| Reference Point/Target: | 100% of Medicare-eligible laboratories meet national pathology accreditation standards. | |
| Note: This performance indicator was amended in the 2008–09 Health and Ageing Portfolio Additional Estimates, to include reference to ‘Medicare-eligible’ pathology laboratories. This was to ensure that when disconnected from relevant text, the indicator is specific in its focus. | ||
| Result: Indicator met. | ||
| No laboratories were identified by Medicare Australia during 2008–09 as being unable to satisfy the quality requirements of the national pathology accreditation scheme. All laboratories therefore retained their eligibility for access to Medicare benefits. | ||
| Program 3.5 – Chronic Disease – Radiation Oncology | ||
|---|---|---|
| Indicator: | Radiation oncology initiatives are developed to increase workforce capacity to support capital expansions. | |
| Reference Point/Target: | Workforce research and capital projects are progressed in consultation with the radiation oncology sector. Applications and conditions of grant are processed in line with program guidelines. | |
| Result: Indicator met. | ||
A national workforce planning exercise of the three main radiation oncology professions (radiation oncologists, radiation therapists and medical physicists) commenced in 2008–09. The Department also:
| ||
| Program 3.6 – Targeted Assistance – Medical | ||
|---|---|---|
| Indicator: | Quality, relevant and timely advice to Medicare Australia on eligibility of claims for assistance. | |
| Reference Point/Target: | Stakeholder satisfaction. | |
| Result: Indicator met. | ||
| All requests for advice on the payment of claims for assistance under the program were responded to in a timely and appropriate manner, to enable Medicare Australia to respond to claimants. Medicare Australia indicated satisfaction with the quality, relevance and timeliness of the Department’s advice through regular informal feedback, including email correspondence and face-to-face meetings. | ||
| Output Group 1 – Policy Advice | ||
|---|---|---|
| Indicator: | Quality, relevant and timely advice for Australian Government decision-making, measured by ministerial satisfaction. | |
| Reference Point/Target: | Ministerial satisfaction. | |
| Result: Indicator met. | ||
| Ministers were satisfied with the quality, relevance and timeliness of advice provided for Australian Government decision-making. | ||
| Indicator: | Production of relevant and timely evidence-based policy research. | |
| Reference Point/Target: | Relevant evidence-based policy research produced in a timely manner. | |
| Result: Indicator met. | ||
| The Department provided evidence-based policy research as required. This included the provision of policy advice to the Minister regarding the review of the Medicare Benefits Schedule and Commonwealth Health Technology Assessment processes. In addition, nine Medical Services Advisory Committee Submissions were completed during 2008–09. The Department also completed an open tender process and managed the contract for the independent review of the extended Medicare safety net, and arranged for the publication and the tabling of this report in Parliament. | ||
| Output Group 2 - Program Management | ||
|---|---|---|
| Indicator: | Administered budget predications are met and actual expenses vary less than 0.5% from budgeted expenses measured by comparison of actual expenses against budget. | |
| Reference Point/Target: | 0.5% variance from budgeted expenses. | |
| Result: Indicator met. | ||
| The actual Administered expenses for Outcome 3 were 0.4% more than budgeted expenses. This variance is primarily due to a higher than anticipated demand within the Medicare Benefits Schedule. | ||
| Indicator: | Stakeholders participate in program development through a range of forums. | |
| Reference Point/Target: | Stakeholders participated in program development through regular consultative committees, conferences and stakeholder engagement forums. | |
| Result: Indicator met. | ||
| Stakeholders met with the Department and were consulted through the Medicare Benefits Consultative Committee. Stakeholders were also involved during reviews throughout 2008–09, including the Strategic Review of Future Funding Arrangements for Diagnostic Imaging and Pathology, the Review of the Medicare Benefits Schedule and the Health Technology Assessment Review. | ||
(A) Budget Estimate 2008–09 $’000 | (B) Actual 2008–09 $’000 | Variation (Column B minus Column A) $’000 | Budget Estimate 2009–10 $’000 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program 3.1: Medicare Services | ||||||||
| Administered Items | ||||||||
| - | - | - | 957 | ||||
| Special appropriations | ||||||||
| 92,787 | 58,102 | (34,685) | 104,142 | ||||
| 14,026,985 | 14,142,051 | 115,066 | 14,897,926 | ||||
| Departmental Outputs | ||||||||
| 22,174 | 21,991 | (183) | 26,379 | ||||
| 517 | 599 | 82 | 399 | ||||
| Subtotal for Program 3.1 | 14,142,463 | 14,222,743 | 80,280 | 15,029,803 | ||||
| Program 3.2: Alternative Funding for Health Service Provision | ||||||||
| Administered Items | ||||||||
| 4,269 | 4,437 | 168 | 3,461 | ||||
| Departmental Outputs | ||||||||
| 274 | 271 | (3) | 325 | ||||
| 6 | 7 | 1 | 7 | ||||
| Subtotal for Program 3.2 | 4,549 | 4,715 | 166 | 3,793 | ||||
| Program 3.3: Diagnostic Imaging Services | ||||||||
| Administered Items | ||||||||
| 18,985 | 18,342 | (643) | 21,980 | ||||
| 1,500 | 1,500 | - | - | ||||
| Departmental Outputs | ||||||||
| 3,470 | 3,441 | (29) | 4,127 | ||||
| 81 | 94 | 13 | 151 | ||||
| Subtotal for Program 3.3 | 24,036 | 23,377 | (659) | 26,258 | ||||
| Program 3.4: Pathology Services | ||||||||
| Administered Items | ||||||||
| 3,915 | 2,955 | (960) | 4,450 | ||||
| Departmental Outputs | ||||||||
| 3,144 | 3,118 | (26) | 3,740 | ||||
| 73 | 85 | 12 | 69 | ||||
| Subtotal for Program 3.4 | 7,132 | 6,158 | (974) | 8,259 | ||||
| Program 3.5: Chronic Disease - Radiation Oncology | ||||||||
| Administered Items | ||||||||
| 94,209 | 91,510 | (2,699) | 86,119 | ||||
| 11 | - | (11) | - | ||||
| Departmental Outputs | ||||||||
| 2,380 | 2,361 | (19) | 2,832 | ||||
| 56 | 64 | 8 | 52 | ||||
| Subtotal for Program 3.5 | 96,656 | 93,935 | (2,721) | 89,003 | ||||
| Program 3.6: Targeted Assistance - Medical | ||||||||
| Administered Items | ||||||||
| 44,302 | 28,895 | (15,407) | 18,634 | ||||
| Departmental Outputs | ||||||||
| 2,428 | 2,407 | (21) | 2,888 | ||||
| 57 | 66 | 9 | 53 | ||||
| Subtotal for Program 3.6 | 46,787 | 31,368 | (15,419) | 21,575 | ||||
| Total Resources for Outcome 3 | 14,321,623 | 14,382,296 | 60,673 | 15,178,691 | ||||
| Outcome 3 Resources by Departmental Output Group | ||||||||
| Department of Health and Ageing | ||||||||
| 22,941 | 22,741 | (200) | 27,036 | ||||
| 11,719 | 11,763 | 44 | 13,985 | ||||
| Total Departmental Resources | 34,660 | 34,504 | (156) | 41,021 | ||||
| Average Staffing Level (Number) | 214 | 211 | (3) | 247 | ||||
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