Australian Federal Government budget The 2020-2021 Australian Federal Government budget brings significant stimulus to assist with the recovery of an economy impacted by the global covid-19 pandemic. The following are examples of measures that could directly impact our Sector.
Prioritising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health This budget includes a $4 billion investment in Indigenous health funding over four years, including $975.5 million in 2020-2021. $546.9 million is allocated to the Indigenous Australians Health Program (IAHP) funding to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Organisations (ATSICCHOs), with a further $33 million being provided through the IAHP to expand Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health care services. $5 million is provided in 2020-21 to improve early identification of hearing and speech difficulties for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children as part of the $21.2 million funding for the national three-year Roadmap for Hearing Health. Also included, is an expansion of the Closing the Gap Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) Co-Pay Program. This will increase accessibility for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to PBS medications by reducing restrictions on patient registration and issuing of scripts. This will especially benefit Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people when moving between different geographic locations.
Closing the Gap $46.5 million is provided over four years to support the National Agreement on Closing the Gap and build the capacity of the ATSICCHO Sector to improve local service delivery. This funding will be complemented by cocontributions from state and territory governments. The Government will also provide $10.1 million over four years for the Productivity Commission to provide independent oversight and accountability of progress under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. As well as supporting the comprehensive review of progress every three years, this measure includes developing and maintaining an information dashboard and an annual data report that all parties can use in reporting their performance against the Agreement.
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Sector Leader M AG A Z I N E
| November/December 2020
Response to the COVID-19 pandemic $9.8 million is provided to deliver free COVID-19 testing at the point-of-care in 86 remote locations and $52.8 million to support early evacuations, aeromedical retrievals, as well as mobile respiratory clinics. ATSICCHOs are enabling unprecedented access to culturally safe assessment and testing across urban and regional areas, by operating 23 of the up to 150 General Practitioner-led Respiratory Clinics. As part of that $377.5 million package, additional support worth $8.3 million has already been distributed through NACCHO to enable ATSICCHOs to respond flexibly to COVID-19.
IAHP New funding model for ATSICCHOs From 1 July 2020, more than $90 million over three years will be provided to cover the costs of the new funding model for ATSICCHOs, with three year funding agreements and annual indexation, under the IAHP.
Investing in mental health The government has invested $5.7 billion in 2020-2021, including funding for critical frontline services, suicide prevention and key programs. This includes $101 million of additional funding to provide access to ten additional Medicare subsidised psychological therapy sessions to people with a mental health care plan, so that they can continue to access the services they need.
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme To make high cost drugs available and affordable, the Government included 12 additional high cost medicines in the listing of the PBS.
Prevention $184.1 million is provided in 2020-21 for long-term investments in preventive health. Also, the Government will provide $7.2 million in 2020-21 to extend the Good
