The audit will assess the effectiveness of the Department of Health and Aged Care’s (Health’s) approach to health provider compliance, including its response to the 2023 Independent Review of Medicare Integrity and Compliance. The audit will also examine the Professional Services Review Scheme, which investigates Medicare-referred cases of possible inappropriate practice in relation to Medicare, Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

Health has policy responsibility for Medicare, the CDBS and the PBS. Through its Health Benefit Compliance Program, the department aims to support the integrity of health benefit claims through prevention, early identification and treatment of incorrect claiming, inappropriate practice and fraud. Auditor-General Report No. 17 2020–21 Managing Health Provider Compliance found that the department’s approach to health provider compliance was partially effective, due in part to a lack of risk-based compliance planning and monitoring of compliance outcomes. The Independent Review of Medicare Integrity and Compliance (the Philip Review), completed in March 2023, made a number of recommendations to strengthen the integrity of the Medicare system and its health provider compliance mechanisms. In the 2023–24 Federal Budget Health received $29.8 million to establish a taskforce to respond to the review’s recommendations. In the 2024–25 Budget, Health received $18.1 million over four years to extend and expand the government’s response to the Philip Review.

This audit would assess how the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) monitors and assesses outcomes for National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants and uses that data to assess the effectiveness of NDIS funded supports, supports the maintenance of the National Disability Data Asset (NDDA) and informs continuous improvement of NDIA processes.

The 2024–25 Federal Budget provided $45.5 million over four years (and $13.3 million per year ongoing) to establish a NDIS Evidence Advisory Committee to provide advice to government on the efficacy and cost-benefits of types of supports funded by the NDIS, aimed at improving outcomes and ensuring better value for participants.

This audit would examine the stand up and early implementation of the Urgent Care Clinics (UCCs), including the selection of locations and providers for UCCs, and the establishment of performance measures and monitoring arrangements to enable the Department of Health and Aged Care to ensure UCCs are achieving their intended outcomes.

In the 2023–24 Federal Budget, the Australian Government announced $358.5 million over five years from 2022–23 to establish 58 UCCs. The UCCs aimed to reduce pressure on hospital emergency departments and make it easier for Australian families to see a doctor or a nurse when they require urgent but not life-threatening care. All UCCs were to be open during extended business hours, with no appointments required, and no out-of-pocket costs for patients. In the 2024–25 Federal Budget, the government announced $227.0 million over three years from 2023–24 to boost the capacity of UCCs (including a further 29 to be established for a total of 87) and provide additional support to clinics in regional and rural Australia.

This audit would assess whether the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA’s) procurement of counselling service providers for the Open Arms program has been conducted in accordance with the Commonwealth Procurement Rules.

Open Arms is a counselling service for Australian veterans and their families, provided through DVA. Open Arms counselling is delivered by a national network of mental health professionals, both in Open Arms centres across the country and by partnerships with private psychologists and social workers, called Outreach Program Counsellors (OPCs). In 2022–23, 323,874 Open Arms services were provided to 43,134 veterans and their families with the program costing $115.6 million. In February 2024, DVA commenced a procurement process to develop a panel of OPCs. The establishment of the panel is expected to be completed by 30 June 2024.

This audit would assess the effectiveness of transitional arrangements developed by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts to consolidate the existing Bridges Renewal Program and Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program into a new, ongoing funding stream under the Safer Local Road and Infrastructure Program.

This audit would assess the extent to which entities’ use of the Management Advisory Services Panel supported the achievement of value for money.

The Management Advisory Services Panel (SON3751667) is a cooperative procurement arrangement managed by the Department of Finance. Such arrangements are intended to improve the quality, consistency, and efficiency of the procurement of Management Advisory Services by Commonwealth entities, while supporting entities to achieve value for money outcomes. The Panel supersedes the Business Advisory Services Panel, which ceased operation on 25 October 2022. As of 20 February 2023, there were 413 suppliers on the Panel, and all Australian Government agencies are authorised to access it.

The Australian Government can undertake investments through a range of models to achieve policy and investment outcomes. This audit would assess the effectiveness of the utilisation of these investment models for a selection of investments. The audit would consider the design and governance arrangements of the selected investment models.

The Auditor-General (A/g) responded on 24 September 2015 to correspondence from the Hon Warren Truss MP on 18 September 2015 regarding probity and conflict of interest arrangements in place for the OneSKY Australia programme being led by Airservices Australia.

The objective of this audit is to assess the effectiveness to date of the Department of Defence’s (Defence) procurement of Infantry Fighting Vehicles (LAND 400 Phase 3).

The objective of this audit is to assess the effectiveness of the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission’s (ACIC) and Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s (CASA) compliance with domestic and international travel requirements.