This article describes the Australian Government agency known as Medicare Australia. For information about the Medicare program in Australia, see Medicare (Australia)
is an agency of the
Australian Government that administers health-related programs including
Medicare , the
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), and others. It is a prescribed agency under the ''Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 (Cth)'' and a statutory agency within the
Department Of Human Services , under the ''Public Service Act 1999 (Cth)''. Prior to
1 October 2005 , Medicare Australia was known as the '''Health Insurance Commission''' (HIC).
The National Office of Medicare Australia is located in
Canberra , and is responsible for policy and program development. Medicare Australia also has many branch offices across
Australia , usually located in retail centres. These are responsible for processing payments and claims from members of the public.
Medicare Australia administers various health-related programs in partnership with the
Department Of Health And Ageing . As of
2007 , these programs included:
