The PMHA Quality Improvement Project is directed toward improving outcomes for consumers within the context of the mental health services that are provided by private hospitals and psychiatrists in private practice.  The intention is for the$250,00 of funding available to be used to help achieve that goal by making better use of the mechanism of the PMHA and its Centralised Data Management Service (CDMS).   QIP contains a suite of four complementary activities to be undertaken within the context of the available funding.

These Guidelines supersede the Guidelines for Determining Benefits for Health Insurance Purposes for Private Patient Hospital Based Mental Health Care (2007 Edition). The 2010 Edition attached below, has been endorsed by the PMHA and was developed by its Collaborative Care Models Working Group.  In this Edition, advice is included that is applicable, in some instances, to both the hospital–based and office–based settings.

The Strategic Planning Group for Private Psychiatric Services, or SPGPPS as it was known, comprised representatives drawn from private hospitals, health insurers, the Australian Government, consumer and carer groups, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and the Australian Medical Association (AMA). The SPGPPS was originally brought together by the AMA in 1996 to facilitate increased collaboration on issues relevant to the funding of private mental health services.

In 2009, the role of the Management Committee of the CDMS was incorporated into PMHA meetings as core business of the PMHA. Future meetings of the PMHA were extended to accommodate the CDMS reporting.  Copies of the Reports of Meetings of the Management Committee that have been endorsed for inclusion on this website are attached below.

The PMHA was the result of a restructure of SPGPPS that took place in 2007. The PMHA meets three times a year to address issues related to funding, classification, quality of care, outcome measurement, consumer and carer participation and related topics as they affected the private mental health sector.  Copies of the Reports of Meetings that have been endorsed for inclusion on this website are attached below.

Our Newsletters are designed to stimulate discussion and debate concerning the delivery of mental health services in the private sector. They do not necessarily represent the views of participating organisations, unlesss otherwise stated.

These Guidelines assist in determining facility selection and appropriate funding levels for private health insurance purposes.  The Guidelines can also be of assistance to State/Territory health authorities and their public hospitals in the treatment of Medicare and privately insured patients.

Attached below are the Progress Reports of the PMHA and its antecedent the Strategic Planning Group for Private Psychiatric Services or SPGPPS as it was more commonly known.

The Discussion Paper attached below provides an update on the funding of mental health services in the private sector and some of the recent reforms that have had an impact on those services.