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FACT SHEET
NATIONAL HEALTH FUNDING ADMINISTRATION BILL 2012
The National Health Funding Administration Bill 2012 (the Bill) establishes the
mechanisms for the flow and administration of public health funding from 1 July 2012,
as required under the National Health Reform Agreement (NHRA).
The main features of the Bill are:
The establishment of the office of the Administrator of the National Health
Funding Pool, including the functions of the Administrator and the appointment,
suspension or removal the Administrator (part 2 of Bill).
The establishment of State Pool Accounts, including provisions governing
payments into and out of the State Pool Account, the establishment of a State
managed fund and the distribution of Commonwealth funds (part 3 of Bill).
The financial management and reporting obligations of the Administrator,
including reporting arrangements, auditing requirements and provision of
information generally (part 4 of Bill).
The Bill also contains miscellaneous provisions to disapply certain State legislation
and apply certain Commonwealth legislation for the purposes of this Bill. These
provisions are necessary to ensure a nationally consistent basis for the Administrator
to exercise his or her functions.
The Bill will ensure improved transparency of Commonwealth and State public
health funding by enabling complete transparency and line-of-sight of contributions
into and out of Pool accounts and of the basis on which the contributions are
calculated. The financial reports required under this Bill will be made publicly
available.
The Bill is predominantly mechanical, in that it will prescribe the role and functions
of the Administrator and direct the nature of the relationship between the
Administrator and the State. In this respect, the Administrator may only pay funds
out of the State Pool Account at the direction of the State Health Minister (or her
delegate) and in accordance with the service agreements to be agreed between the
Minister and the Tasmanian Health Organisations.
The Bill has been developed through collaboration with an inter-jurisdictional
working group, which developed a set of common provisions to enact the funding
requirements of the NHRA. Similar legislation to this Bill is being introduced in all
states and territories and by the Commonwealth.
The funding flows being established by this Bill are shown at Attachment 1.
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