Federal Financial Relations (National Health Reform Payments for 2019-20) Determination 2021

This is a determination (a type of legal instrument made by a Minister) that sets out exactly how much federal money the Commonwealth Government will give to each Australian state and territory for health services in the 2019-20 financial year.

What it does:

• Authorises $24.3 billion in total funding to be distributed among the eight states and territories
• Specifies the exact dollar amount each jurisdiction receives (ranging from $319 million for the Northern Territory to $7.7 billion for New South Wales)

Who it affects:

• State and territory governments — they receive this money to run public hospitals and health services
• Patients and healthcare users — this funding supports the public health system they rely on
• Taxpayers — this is their money being allocated

Why it matters: This determination puts into effect the National Health Reform Agreement, which is the deal between the Commonwealth and the states about who pays for what in public hospitals. Without this legal instrument, the federal government couldn't legally transfer these billions of dollars to the states. It's essentially the "pay cheque" that keeps state hospital systems running.