Our secretariat
The Office of Health Technology Assessment staff in the Department of Health and Aged Care provide us with secretariat support. They:
- manage and check applications
- help applicants with the application process
- arrange consultation on applications
- contract health technology assessment (HTA) groups to prepare assessment documents
- publish updates and application documents on this website
- provide clinical advice and HTA expertise.
You can get in touch if you have questions about the MSAC process.
Application managers
Your application manager is:
- your contact throughout the MSAC process
- usually part of the policy team responsible for the relevant funding program.
For example, if you apply for a new Medicare Benefits Schedule item, your application manager will likely be a policy officer from the Medicare Benefits and Digital Health Division.
Policy teams usually progress applications we support to government. If we support your application, your application manager may also be your contact after the MSAC process.
Policy teams
Policy teams in the Department of Health and Aged Care and other government agencies are responsible for different funding programs, such as the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS).
For applications that seek funding from the program they are responsible for, policy teams:
- provide advice to us and our secretariat throughout the MSAC process
- are usually the application managers for those applications
- progress our advice to support funding to government
- implement our advice, if accepted by government.
Policy teams also receive or make referrals. If:
- an application is not suitable for the MSAC process, our secretariat may refer it to the relevant policy team
- a request to change a funding program requires a full HTA, the policy team may refer it to us.
HTA groups
Health technology assessment (HTA) groups consist of HTA experts. They can be from universities, professional bodies, private consultancies or other health agencies.
Our secretariat contracts HTA groups to help us assess your application, by preparing documents such as:
- PICO confirmations
- department-contracted assessment reports
- commentaries on applicant-developed assessment reports.
We (and our subcommittees) consider these documents as part of the MSAC process.
Process to choose an HTA group
The Department of Health and Aged Care formed a panel of HTA groups using a competitive tender process.
Our secretariat:
- requests quotes from relevant HTA groups on that panel
- requires the HTA groups to declare any conflicts of interest.
To decide which HTA group to proceed with, our secretariat considers:
- any conflicts of interest
- clinical experience and expertise
- availability of the HTA group
- value for money
- previous exposure to the application
- any other relevant matter.
You cannot request a specific HTA group. But you can let our secretariat know about any conflicts of interest.
NHRA Joint Chairs' Group
The National Health Reform Agreement (NHRA) sets out arrangements for the funding of high cost, highly specialised therapies (HST).
The NHRA Joint Chairs' Group decides on the appropriate committee to assess your application. The group meets to decide this within 30 days after receiving your application.
The group members are:
- our chair
- the chair of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC)
- an official nominated by state and territory governments.
Other committees and groups
We may liaise with related committees and groups about some applications (such as codependent applications). You may also need to liaise with them about regulatory processes or approvals or other matters while your application goes through the MSAC process.
Contact
