Who manages the Australian Health System?

Responsibility for managing the Australian Health System is shared 

The Australian Government, state and territory governments, as well as local governments share responsibility for managing the Australian Health System.

What is the Australian Government responsible for?

The Australian Government is responsible for:

• the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS)
• the Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule (PBS)
• medicines and medical devices through the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)
• private health insurance regulation
• primary healthcare services quality and support 
• aged care regulation
• subsidised residential and home aged care 
• subsidised hearing services
• organ and tissue transplants coordination 
• secure supply of safe and affordable blood products 
• national responses to health emergencies, including pandemics
• safe food supply in Australia and New Zealand
• healthcare funding for veterans through the Department of Veterans Affairs
• funds for community Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary healthcare organisations
• vaccines for the national immunisation program
• the number and equal distribution of doctors in Australia (through Commonwealth-funded university places)
• funds for health and medical research through the Medical Research Future Fund and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
• nuclear safety research, policy and regulation to protect the community and the environment from radiation.

What are the state, territory and local governments responsible for?

The state, territory and local governments are responsible for:

• public hospitals
• preventative services, including breast cancer screening and immunisation programs
• community health services, including mental health services
• public dental clinics
• ambulance services
• emergency services
• patient transport
• food safety and handling regulation
• health premises inspection and licensing.

What responsibilities do the Australian, state and territory and local governments share?

The Australian Government and state and territory governments share responsibility for:

• public hospital funding
• preventative services, including cancer screening programs
• health profession registration and accreditation, including doctors
• palliative care
• national mental health reform
• national health emergency response.

Local governments are responsible for:

• a range of environmental and public health services
• community-based health and home-care services.

What does this mean for patients?

Sharing of responsibility for the health system between the Australian, state and territory and local governments means the system may differ depending on where you live.

While Medicare is the same wherever you live, you may find differences in health services available in the states and territories.

Health services may vary from city to rural areas. For example, if you live in the bush, you may have good access to nurses but most doctors, especially specialists, tend to be in the cities.