Background
In 2015, the Australian Government established the Medicare Benefit Schedule (MBS) Review Taskforce. It provided an independent, clinician-led-comprehensive review of the more than 5,700 items that comprised the MBS. The taskforce provided recommendations to the Minister for Health to ensure the MBS is:
- affordable with universal access
- best practice health service
- value for the individual patient, and
- value for the health system.
The taskforce recommended a review into the efficacy and appropriateness of collaborative arrangements; an independent review was undertaken in 2022. The review determined collaborative arrangement models vary internationally, and the literature review explored differences and similarities to the Australian approach. Although collaborative arrangements were found to work well in some settings (e.g. hospitals), in most, especially rural and remote locations, they were barriers to providing quality care to the full scope of practice.
In the 2023-24 Budget, the Australian Government approved the removal of the legislative need for collaborative arrangements.
What happened
We:
- changed Commonwealth legislation (Health Insurance Act 1973 and National Health Act 1953) and regulations (Health Insurance Regulations 2018) to remove the legislative need for collaborative arrangements; the change came into effect 1 November 2024
- confirmed the change did not affect state and territory governments
- informed professional indemnity insurance providers of the change and ensured their products removed reference to, or requirements on, collaborative arrangements
- informed the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee about the change.
Why the change was important
The removal of the legislative need for collaborative arrangements:
- removed barriers to care provided by nurse practitioners and participating midwives, particularly in rural and remote areas where there is a smaller healthcare workforce and there are challenges attracting and retaining GPs
- provides nurse practitioners and participating midwives more autonomy in their scope of practice
- increases use of participating midwives in First Nations settings
- supports our goal of health care professionals being able to work to their full scope of practice.
Learn more
- Strengthening Medicare Task Force
- Nurse Practitioner Workforce Plan
- Independent review of collaborative arrangements – 2023 Report Extract
- Budget 2023-24, Budget Paper No.2, p.150
Contact
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