Medicare Urgent Care Clinics

Background:

The Australian Government has committed $644.3 million to establish 50 additional Medicare Urgent Care Clinics (Medicare UCC) across Australia, six of which will be located in Western Australia.

These additional clinics will expand the availability of urgent care, aiming to further reduce pressure on hospital emergency departments and are expected to open during the 2025-26 financial year.

The opportunity: 

As the operator of WA’s three Primary Health Networks (PHNs), WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA) will administer and manage the commissioning of six new Medicare UCCs on behalf of the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (DHDA). This includes entering into agreements and making eligible payments to the successful Medicare UCC providers.

Eligibility

DHDA has recently circulated the revised Medicare Urgent Care Clinics Program Operational Guidance to PHNs. This guidance will form the basis of the RFP requirements and the contract activity schedule. Eligibility of respondents will be determined in accordance with the guidance.

Medicare UCCs must be partnered with a general practice accredited to a recognised and relevant standard such as the Royal Australian College of General Practitioner Standards for General Practice.

DHDA announced the locations here: Locations of the additional 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics | Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. The RFP/s will include more information on the exact locations eligible to apply.

Register your interest

WAPHA wishes to gauge the level of interest within the primary health care sector for the provision of these services to inform the procurement approach and ensure any market gaps are identified and addressed early.

WAPHA invites you to register your interest in establishing one or more Medicare UCCs.

A separate Request for Proposal (RFP) will be released via WAPHA’s Aspire platform, once we receive the necessary information from DHDA

This invitation to Register Your Interest is not an RFP. As such, it is not a commitment or representation of any kind that WAPHA will issue an RFP to provide the service, nor does it form part of a pre-requisite to participate in future opportunities related to Medicare UCCs.