Review of the remoteness classification system for aged care

About the review

We are reviewing the Modified Monash Model for aged care. The purpose is to assess the appropriateness of the MMM and how it is applied in aged care to support service delivery in regional, rural and remote locations.

The review is being conducted in response to Recommendation 17 of the Aged Care Taskforce Final Report.

The review will also build on the outcomes of the recent Working Better for Medicare Review.

Why the review is important

The MMM is used to define locations by metropolitan, rural, remote or very remote.

The system was designed to improve distribution of health workforce in rural and remote areas. People in these areas can find it more difficult and more expensive to access health services and doctors.

In aged care, the MMM is used to allocate program funding and other supports for aged care providers in regional, rural and remote locations. Eligibility for some programs or supports can also be based on a provider’s MMM location.

Goals of the review

The review will explore:

how the MMM system is used in aged care
any advantages and disadvantages of the system for aged care
factors and conditions, including remoteness, that influence aged care service delivery in regional, rural and remote locations
options for the ongoing use of the MMM for aged care.

How we are conducting the review

The review will be completed in 2 phases.

A Scoping phase was completed at the end of 2024 to help us plan for the current phase of the review.

The Consultation and reporting phase is now underway and will be completed by the end of 2025.

What we’ve done so far

The following consultations were completed between April and May 2025.

Information from these consultation activities will soon be shared in a Consultation Summary report.

Get involved

The online survey for the review is now closed.

Consultations for the review have also been completed.

We will keep you updated about the latest news for the review.

Learn more