Medicare Guarantee (2026-27 Credit to Treasury Special Account) Determination (No. 1) 2026
I, Andrew Leigh, Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury, make the following determination.
Dated 11 June 2026
Dr Andrew Leigh
Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer
Contents
Part 1—Preliminary
1 Name
2 Commencement
3 Authority
4 Definitions
Part 2—Determination of amount to be credited to the Medicare Guarantee Fund (Treasury) Special Account in relation to 2026-27
5 Amount to be credited to the Treasury Special Account
Part 1—Preliminary
1 Name
This instrument is the Medicare Guarantee (2026-27 Credit to Treasury Special Account) Determination (No. 1) 2026.
2 Commencement
(1) Each provision of this instrument specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.
Commencement information |
Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
Provisions | Commencement | Date/Details |
1. The whole of this instrument | The day after this instrument is registered. | |
Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this instrument.
(2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this instrument. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this instrument.
3 Authority
This instrument is made under the Medicare Guarantee Act 2017.
4 Definitions
Note Expressions have the same meaning in this instrument as in the Medicare Guarantee Act 2017 as in force from time to time—see paragraph 13(1)(b) of the Legislation Act 2003.
In this instrument:
the Act means the Medicare Guarantee Act 2017.
Part 2—Determination of amount to be credited to the Medicare Guarantee Fund (Treasury) Special Account in relation to 2026-27
5 Amount to be credited to the Treasury Special Account
Under subsection 7(1) of the Act, $59,515,854,000 is specified as the amount to be credited to the Medicare Guarantee Fund (Treasury) Special Account on 1 July 2026 for the budget year beginning on 1 July 2026.
Note: The Medicare Guarantee Fund (Treasury) Special Account is established by section 6 of the Act.
Overview
The Medicare Guarantee (2026-27 Credit to Treasury Special Account) Determination (No. 1) 2026 was enacted under the Medicare Guarantee Act 2017, a statute designed to address the gap in the Australian healthcare system by ensuring that a consistent level of healthcare services is available to all citizens. This notifiable instrument was introduced to specify the amount to be credited to the Medicare Guarantee Fund (Treasury) Special Account for the budget year beginning on 1 July 2026. The determination was made by Dr Andrew Leigh, the Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities, and Treasury, and it specifies that $59,515,854,000 should be credited to the Medicare Guarantee Fund (Treasury) Special Account on 1 July 2026. The underlying policy objective of this determination is to uphold the integrity and sustainability of the Medicare system, ensuring it continues to provide accessible and affordable healthcare services to Australians.
Scope and Application
The Medicare Guarantee (2026-27 Credit to Treasury Special Account) Determination (No. 1) 2026 is an instrument made under the Medicare Guarantee Act 2017, specifically authorising the credit of a specified amount to the Medicare Guarantee Fund (Treasury) Special Account for the budget year starting on 1 July 2026. This determination applies to the Commonwealth of Australia and pertains to the financial management of the Medicare Guarantee Fund, which is established by the Medicare Guarantee Act 2017. The Act itself applies to the Commonwealth, and the credit to the Treasury Special Account is a financial measure intended to support the Medicare system. The determination specifies that $59,515,854,000 is to be credited to the Medicare Guarantee Fund (Treasury) Special Account on 1 July 2026, a sum determined under the authority of the Act. The instrument's provisions commence on the day after its registration, and the Act's definitions apply as per the Medicare Guarantee Act 2017.
Key Provisions
The Medicare Guarantee (2026-27 Credit to Treasury Special Account) Determination (No. 1) 2026 sets out the specific amount to be credited to the Medicare Guarantee Fund (Treasury) Special Account for the 2026-27 budget year. Section 5 of the Determination specifies that the amount to be credited is $59,515,854,000, effective from 1 July 2026. This amount is to be credited in accordance with subsection 7(1) of the Medicare Guarantee Act 2017, which mandates the crediting of funds into the Medicare Guarantee Fund (Treasury) Special Account to ensure the Medicare system's financial sustainability.
The Act imposes certain obligations on the parties involved, particularly the Treasurer, who is responsible for making the credit to the specified account. The Treasurer must ensure that the determined amount is credited to the Medicare Guarantee Fund (Treasury) Special Account by the specified date, which is the day after the instrument is registered. Failure to comply with this requirement could potentially impact the financial management of the Medicare system and its ability to provide services as intended.
The Determination does not explicitly outline specific offences or penalties for non-compliance with the crediting requirement. However, any failure to adhere to the mandates of the Medicare Guarantee Act 2017 could potentially lead to broader legal consequences, including scrutiny from relevant oversight bodies and potential implications for the financial management and operational effectiveness of the Medicare system. The seriousness of such consequences underscores the importance of timely and accurate compliance with the Determination's provisions.