Welcome to the Medical Services Advisory Committee
The principal role of the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) is to advise the Australian Minister for Health and Ageing on evidence relating to the safety, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of new medical technologies and procedures. This advice informs Australian Government decisions about public funding for new, and in some cases existing, medical procedures.
Background to the establishment of the MSAC
MSAC was established in 1998 to improve health outcomes for patients by ensuring that new and existing medical procedures attracting funding under the Medicare Benefits Schedule are supported by evidence of their safety, clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness.
MSAC has the capacity to assemble and review available evidence. In some circumstances, MSAC can recommend interim funding to enable data collection, within an agreed research framework, in order to establish the evidence base.
Evaluation of evidence associated with medical services has been an integral part of the process for the listing of new medical technologies and services on the Medicare Benefits Schedule(MBS).
MSAC’s terms of reference
Advise the Minister for Health and Ageing on the strength of evidence pertaining to new and emerging medical technologies and procedures in relation to their safety, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness and under what circumstances public funding should be supported.
Advise the Minister for Health and Ageing on which new medical technologies and procedures should be funded on an interim basis to allow data to be assembled to determine their safety, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness.
Advise the Minister for Health and Ageing on references related either to new and/or existing medical technologies and procedures.
Undertake health technology assessment work referred by the Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council (AHMAC) and report its findings to the AHMAC.
For further information select the relevant topic from the menu bar or email the MSAC secretariat on msac.secretariat@health.gov.au.
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Page currency, Latest update: 03 July, 2009
