Richard Bartlett

First Assistant Secretary
Medical Benefits Division

Richard Bartlett is currently First Assistant Secretary, Medical Benefits Division. The Division has policy responsibility for the Medicare Benefits Schedule and the Private Health Insurance arrangements.  MBS expenditure is forecast to be $16.6B in 2010-11 and private health insurance rebate expenditure is forecast to be $4.8B.  Medical Benefits Division has six Branches:
•    Medicare Benefits Branch
•    Private Health Insurance Branch
•    Medicare Financing & Analysis Branch
•    Diagnostics Services Branch
•    Health Technology & Medical Services Group
•    Medical Benefits Review Task Group

Richard’s previous role was Assistant Secretary, Medical Benefits Reviews Task Group and he had responsibility for the initiatives affecting the Medical Benefits Schedule. These are a Quality Framework for the MBS which seeks to add increased rigour to the listing and maintenance of the MBS and pathology and diagnostic imaging reviews which address specific issues in each of these sectors. Additional detail on the reviews can be found at www.health.gov.au/mbrtg.

Prior to commencing in this role in August 2009, Richard spent three months as Assistant Secretary, Office of Hearing Services and had responsibility for the Australian Hearing Services Program. This was his first position in the Department of Health and Ageing which he joined in April 2009.

For the previous eleven years, Richard worked in a variety of roles in the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Most recently, he was National Manager, Primary Care Policy with responsibility for overall veteran health policy covering hospitals, medical, allied health, dental, pharmacy, e-health, appliances and transport. He was in this position from June 2006 – March 2009. Prior to this, he spent eight months heading up a team that conducted DVA’s first national private hospital request for tender process.