The Australian Mental Health System

Making Mental Health Count

“…There are 13 mental Health Care Packages divided into two categories: Category B for inpatients (seven care packages) and Category C for patients requiring support in sheltered accommodation (six care packages). results of the mH-CaSC Project found that while the overall explanation of variance of mH-CaSC proved to be higher than that achieved by using the mental health classes in the australian inpatient Drg system, it required on-going clinical refinement and further research in order to be used for reimbursement (Whiteford et al, 2000). This decision not to use mH-CaSC for reimbursement may have been based on the fact that the casemix methodology, based on average resource use, could cause financial 124 instability, particularly if cost variations affect factors outside of provider's control.…”

Can Research Influence Mental Health Policy?

“…This can create significant political obstacles to reform. The development of national and State consumer advisory groups under the National Mental Health Strategy was in part to help address this imbalance [26]. The benefits of reform are often dispersed and this, combined with the lack of political influence of some recipients, makes it difficult to create significant political support for reform which will benefit them.…”