Department of Health and Aged Care
DoHAC
1 July 2022 – 13 May 2025
Previously Department of Health (2013–2022). Renamed Department of Health, Disability and Ageing in 2025.
Department of State responsible for national health policy and programs, including Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, aged care, and sport.
Names over time
- Department of Community Services and Health1987–1991
- Department of Health, Housing and Community Services1991–1993
- Department of Health, Housing, Local Government and Community Services1993
- Department of Human Services and Health1993–1996
- Department of Health and Family Services1996–1998
- Department of Health and Aged Care1998–2001
- Department of Health and Ageing2001–2013
- Department of Health2013–2022
- Department of Health and Aged Care2022–2025
- Department of Health, Disability and Ageing2025–present
How it came into existence
Created on 1 July 2022 under the Administrative Arrangements Order of 23 June 2022, when the Department of Health was renamed to reflect its aged care responsibilities; its functions, including sport, continued from that department.
- Health policy and programs
- Aged care
- Sport
Changes during its life
- Mental health and suicide prevention system monitoring and reporting
- National Suicide Prevention Office
- Aged care costing and pricing advice
- Independent oversight of the aged care system
- Health protection and communicable disease control
- Health emergency preparedness and response
How it ended
Renamed the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing by the Administrative Arrangements Order of 13 May 2025, made after the 3 May 2025 election; its sport functions, including the Office for Sport and portfolio responsibility for the Australian Sports Commission, Sport Integrity Australia and the National Sports Tribunal, went to the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts.
- Health policy and programs
- Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
- Aged care
- Part split off to form Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts · 13 May 2025
- Sport policy and programs (Office for Sport)
- Portfolio oversight of the Australian Sports Commission and Sport Integrity Australia
- Portfolio responsibility for the National Sports Tribunal
Main functions
- Health policy and health system stewardship
- Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme
- Aged care policy, funding and regulation
- Primary care, mental health and preventive health
- Health workforce
- Health emergency preparedness and response
- Sport policy and programs (Office for Sport)
Bodies in this portfolio (4)
- Independent Hospital Pricing Authority 2011–2022
- National Mental Health Commission 2012–2024
- Aged Care Pricing Commissioner 2013–2022
- Interim Inspector-General of Aged Care 2023
Lineage
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Sources
Primary sources
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 1 June 2022 (created it)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 23 June 2022 (created it)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 13 May 2025 (took effect as it ended)
4 more Administrative Arrangements Orders set it out
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 13 October 2022 (sets it out)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 13 October 2022, as amended to 8 June 2023 (sets it out)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 13 October 2022, as amended to 3 August 2023 (sets it out)
- Administrative Arrangements Order of 13 October 2022, as amended to 29 July 2024 (sets it out)
- Australian Government Organisations Register (Department of Finance, data.gov.au) (listed from 25 July 2022 to 31 December 2024)