To meet the reporting requirements of Section 240 of the National Health Reform Act 2011, the Administrator is to include the basis of each State and Territory’s National Health Reform (NHR) funding and payments.
The Territory contribution to the funding of public hospital services and functions is calculated on an activity basis or provided as block funding in accordance with the National Health Reform Agreement – Addendum 2020-25.
The Territory determines the amount they pay for public hospital services and functions and the mix of those services and functions and will meet the balance of the cost of delivering public hospital services and functions over and above the Commonwealth contribution.
Territory funding paid on an activity basis for each service category is based on the price set by that Territory (which is reported in the Service Plan) and the volume of weighted services as set out in the Service Plan.
To provide consistency in methodology and with the Addendum to the National Health Reform Agreement 2020-25, the Northern Territory funding model has implemented the National Efficient Price (NEP24) and National Weighted Activity Unit (NWAU24) as the currency for Activity Based Funding (ABF) facility.
The National Efficient Cost (NEC24) Block funding model is used for non-admitted mental health services, non-admitted child and adolescent mental health services, non‑admitted home ventilation and teaching, training and research provided in hospitals.
The Territory determines when payments are made into the Pool and State managed fund. Payments are made from the Pool account to the Local Hospital Network and State managed fund in accordance with the Service Plan agreed between the Chief Executive Officer of Northern Territory Department of Health (the ‘System Manager’) and the Northern Territory Regional Health Services (NTRHS).
The Territory also makes payments for activities outside the scope of the National Health Reform Agreement. Out-of-scope activities are defined as those public hospital services with a funding source other than the NHRA.
The Northern Territory Department of Health and NTRHS can agree amendments to the Service Plan to adjust service volumes or pricing to take account of such matters as changing health needs, variations in actual service delivery and hospital performance.
The Service Plan is available at www.health.nt.gov.au/governance-strategies-committees/about/service-delivery-agreements-sda(Opens in a new tab/window)
Further information regarding the Basis for National Health Reform payments in both 2024-25 and previous financial years is included at www.publichospitalfunding.gov.au.