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Federal Budget changes to the PIP QI incentive

In line with AMA advocacy and consistent with the advice of the PIP Advisory Group, of which the AMA is a member, the Government confirmed in the Federal Budget a revised scope of the Practice Incentives Program (PIP) new Quality Improvement (QI) Incentive and a deferred commencement of twelve months until 1 May 2018. The revised QI Incentive will now combine five existing incentives instead of the previously announced seven incentives.

This means that the following incentives: eHealth, After Hours, Rural Loading, Teaching Payment, Indigenous Health, and Procedural General Practitioner Payment will remain. Incentives that will cease in their current form on 30 April 2018 are Asthma, Quality Prescribing, Cervical Screening, Diabetes, and General Practitioner Aged Care Access.

As supported by the AMA and other stakeholders on the PIP Advisory Group, the retention of the Indigenous Health Incentive and the Procedural General Practitioner Payment Incentive will ensure that there is no disadvantage to Indigenous Australians with chronic disease and patients in rural areas as a result of this measure. The delayed commencement will give practices more time to prepare for the QI Incentive’s implementation.

For more information on the PIP QI Incentive see the Budget 2017-18 Fact Sheet.

Further details of the Federal Budget as it relates to the Health Portfolio

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