Medicare Local Toolkit

About the toolkit

The Medicare Local (ML) transition toolkit presents sugested steps in the development of MLs and the transitioning of general practice networks (GPNs) through the period leading up to 1 July 2012. The toolkit is designed to be used by individual Network members as a practical guide to ML implementation. It focuses primarily on the establishment phase of MLs as they transition from GPNs.

The suggested transition activities in this toolkit have been derived from KPMG's consultation draft to the Network titled 'A transition strategy for the evolution of primary health care organisations', May 2010.

The toolkit is divided into the following sections:

Phased implementation

The transition of GPNs to full capacity MLs will be an evolutionary process envisaged to span a ten year period. The table below shows the four main stages of ML development and outlines the broad activities anticipated to be achieved within each stage:

  • Planning and establishment
  • Consolidation and rationalisation
  • Transition of programs
  • Full operation.
10 year evolution of Medicare Locals from pre-transition to full operation
Evolution Phase Content

Phase One:

July 2010 – July 2012
(transition)

Establishment phase:

  • Up to 57 MLs will be incorporated and established with basic infrastructure in place
  • ML evaluation framework will be in place
  • MLs will likely be operating at different capacities across Australia. Some “early adopters” may already be functioning in a number of ML roles, others may just be starting out in these roles.  Irrespective of this, ML set up will be finalised by this point: all required ML infrastructure and corporate/operating processes will be in place across the Network and GPNs as they are now will no longer be directly funded by the Commonwealth Government.

Phase Two:

July 2012 – July 2014
(2 year outlook)

Consolidation and rationalisation phase:

  • ML processes and operations will be embedded and operating as designed. Most MLs will now be functioning in a wide range of ML roles
  • A plan to integrate and transition existing Commonwealth programs into MLs will be developed and approved by this stage.

Phase Three:

July 2012 – July 2017
(5 year outlook)

Transition of Commonwealth programs to MLs:

  • All MLs will now be offering a better integrated suite of Commonwealth programs
  • All MLs will now be undertaking regional health planning
  • The development of appropriate capacity (eg. HR, hub offices etc) to support the goals of the plan and the identified needs of the ML region will be in place
  • Identification and implementation of an initial suite of integrated Commonwealth-state services in areas deemed appropriate (eg. primary mental health care, child and family health services) will have commenced  
  • Early adopter MLs will have additionally commenced the development / implementation of a wider suite of comprehensive community health and primary health care programs and services including integration of some services with education, welfare and employment etc agencies as appropriate
  • Preliminary results from the evaluation of early adopters will be available to guide further development across the country.

Phase Four:

July 2015 – July 2020
(10 year outlook)

Full operation:

  • Migration and integration of State/Territory and NGO-funded community and primary health care services with federally funded programs will be complete
  • All MLs will now be reporting against an agreed performance framework including accountabilities for designated population health outcomes for their regions.