About Medicare Australia
What we do
Medicare Australia touches the lives of all Australians through programs such as Medicare, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), the Australian Organ Donor Register, Family Assistance and the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register.
Our organisation is part of the Australian landscape - we process more than 500 million transactions and pay nearly $30 billion in benefits to pharmacists, doctors and the public every year.
We employ over 5000 people in our Medicare office network, access points, rural transaction centres and administration offices in every corner of Australia.
As well as delivering high quality services, we are involved in developing health payments and information systems for the future using innovative technology. Medicare Australia has a proud history of high stakeholder satisfaction, such as over 90% public satisfaction (measured independently each year) and has received a range of national and international awards.
Medicare Australia sits within the Human Services portfolio. We work closely with health care providers, peak health bodies, external stakeholders and other agencies within the portfolio.
Employer of choice
Medicare Australia offers a flexible and rewarding work environment with a range of benefits for our employees including: competitive remuneration, leave and superannuation provisions, access to study assistance, maternity leave, and healthy lifestyle subsidy to name a few. More information about what we offer can be found in our certified agreement.
Did you know?
- over 21 million people are enrolled in Medicare
- over 950,000 are registered on the Organ Donor Register
- in 2006-07 $6.0 billion was paid in PBS Benefits
- 1.9 million children under 7 are recorded on the Childhood Immunisation Register
Our future
Medicare Australia is working hard as we move into the future. We continue to improve the way we deliver our existing services and are working on innovative ways to deliver services that are more efficient, effective and convenient for Australians.
Medicare Australia is an agency that operates under the umbrella of the Department of Human Services (DHS), along with five other agencies: Centrelink, CRS Australia, Child Support Agency, Health Services Australia and Australian Hearing.
Our purpose
Our purpose is to work together to improve the health and well-being of Australians by delivering information and payment services.
To meet these challenges we are committed to:
- delivering business improvement and efficiency savings
- undertaking structural reform of our national operations
- making productivity improvements across all aspects of our business
- building a nationally consistent approach to service delivery
- working with DHS agencies to deliver existing and new programs
- improving access for the public to Medicare services and
- being highly responsive to the needs of government
Medicare Australia’s strategic direction
Our strategic direction builds on Medicare Australia’s strengths of providing excellent service to the public and the speedy and efficient implementation of government programs, as well as our reputation for innovation and adaptability.
Medicare Australia’s strategic themes
Our strategic themes focus on:
- delivering great service
- providing accurate and reliable information and payments
- being a well run organisation
- ensuring integrity of the government programs we deliver
- being a valued strategic partner in delivering agreed health and other government initiatives
- being a great place to work.
Medicare Australia’s culture and values
Providing great service is fundamental to our purpose which is:
“Working together to improve the health and well-being of Australians by delivering information and payment services”.
Medicare Australia prides itself on the fact that it is a national leader among government agencies in providing high quality service. To maintain our reputation we review our procedures and standards on a regular basis to ensure that our service delivery evolves and stays at the cutting edge.
Medicare Australia’s revised service charter was rolled out in June 2006. The Charter supports our strategic theme ‘Delivering great service’ and places Medicare Australia’s commitment to great service at the heart of all our business practices.
The Service Charter centres on four key statements from the Australian public which tells us what they really want from Medicare Australia:
- Make it easy for me
- Get it right
- Be genuinely interested in me
- Respect my rights
What do we value?
We are one of the most recognisable government agencies and we play a vital role in Australia’s health sector. Working for us is an exciting and rewarding experience.
Our Values are a public statement about what we stand for, in that we:
- care about the health and service needs of the Australian public
- always respect and protect the confidentiality of people and their personal information
- take pride in what we do and pursue improvements
- maintain a strong connection with our community and care for our environment
- understand the need to be flexible in meeting new business challenges
- work collaboratively with the public, providers, government and colleagues.
Medicare Australia’s Values complement the APS Values
which provide the standard of behaviour and conduct expected of employees in the APS. We assess candidates for organisational fit with particular regard to the Medicare Australia Values.
Last updated: 28 May, 2008