Australian Health System

The Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) provides grants to support health and medical research and innovation. The objective is to fund research and innovation projects that improve the health and wellbeing of Australians, make the health system sustainable, and build the economy. The MRFF aims to:

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is Australia’s expert body for health and medical research. It is the agency the Australian government uses to fund health and medical research.  The NHMRC seeks to translate medical research into better health outcomes. It also promotes the required ethical standards for health and medical research. The...

The Therapeutic Goods Association (TGA) is part of the Australian Department of Health. It is responsible for regulating therapeutic goods, including: Effective and timely regulation of therapeutic goods is designed to improve the health of all Australians. The TGA regulates the supply of: It also regulates the manufacture and advertising of these products.

The Australian Health System faces many challenges:

How much does it cost to visit a hospital? How much does it cost if I am admitted to hospital as a public patient? If you have a Medicare Card and are admitted to hospital as a public patient for an emergency or for elective surgery, you are treated for free. How much does it...

Funding of the Australian Heath System is complex. It is shared between:

Acute illness or trauma If you arrive at a public hospital emergency department and are diagnosed with acute illness,  traumatic injuries or a deteriorating existing condition, you will receive emergency surgery if deemed appropriate. You can be: Elective surgery If you are categorised as requiring surgery outside 10 days, you will be put into one...

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