Improving Indigenous access to mainstream primary care program

• Reach:

  National

• Focus area:

  Indigenous

• Status:

  Current

• Evaluated:

  No

Overview

Please note: For the location of general practitioners who are a part of this program, you will need to call 1800 222 032, and for specific health care claims (for example under the MBS or PBS) you will need to contact medicare direct, see links below.

This program aims to close the gap in life expectancy for Indigenous people by improving access to culturally sensitive health care services. The priorities identified for the program include:

• improved access to mainstream health care
• improving the capacity of medical doctors to provide culturally sensitive services
• increasing the use of Indigenous specific Medical benefits schedule (MBS) items, for example, health checks
• encouraging Indigenous people to self-identify
  
• promoting the measures available through the Closing the gap strategy in relation to mainstream health services for Indigenous people
• enhancing the relationship between mainstream health care and the Indigenous health sectors.

A number of programs/initiatives are available for general practices under this program including:

• The Indigenous health incentive
• Changes to the Medical benefits schedule (MBS) items
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health checks
• Pharmaceutical benefits schedule (PBS)
• Indigenous outreach worker program
  • aims to support Indigenous people when they access primary health care services
• Indigenous health project officer
  • collaborate with local communities and others to put in place strategies to improve and increase the access of Indigenous people to mainstream health care services.

Funding for this program comes from the $805.5m allocated by the Commonwealth Government to tackle chronic disease in the Indigenous population.

Refer to the links below for further information of relevance to the Closing the gap programs and initiatives.

Contacts

Department of Health and Ageing
Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
Closing the gap: Indigenous chronic disease package
GPO Box 9848
Woden ACT 2601
Email: ICDP@health.gov.au

Links

• View information: Higher utilisation costs for MBS and PBS
• View information: Improving Indigenous access to mainstream primary care program
• View information: Indigenous health incentive practice register
• View information: Medicare: Consumer information for Indigenous services
• View information: Medicare: Indigenous health
• View information: Subsidising PBS medicine co-payments
• View website: Closing the gap: tackling Indigenous chronic disease
• View website: Medicare
• View website: National divisions of general practice
  This website provides links to state and territory general practice divisions