AMACGP to campaign against Practice Incentive Program (PIP)
Chair of the Australian Medical Association Council of General Practice (AMACGP), Dr David Rivett, said today the AMA would campaign against any further growth in the Government's Practice Incentive Program (PIP).
Under PIP, practices receive incentive payments if they take on certain activities under instruction from the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, including after hours work, computerisation, and disease-specific programs for asthma, diabetes, cervical cancer and mental health.
Dr Rivett said PIP is not transparent, not indexed, it detracts from patients' right to privacy, and it works against a GP's broad knowledge and skills across all illnesses and diseases.
"The PIP has become over-bureaucratised," Dr Rivett said.
"The red tape burden for GPs outweighs any quality advantage."
At its July quarterly meeting, the AMACGP also resolved to call on the Government to remedy the inequity for patients who see non-vocationally registered (non-VR) GPs.
"Under the Medicare Rebate Schedule (MBS), patients of non-VR GPs are out of pocket by around $7 more per consultation than if they were seeing a vocationally-registered GP," Dr Rivett said.
"The AMA will call on the Government to adjust the MBS to bring rebates for visits to non-VR GPs in line with other GPs."
The AMACGP also:
- Endorsed the continuation of the General Practice Representative Group (GPRG) - with reps from AMACGP, RACGP, and RDAA - to lobby Government on GP issues
- Welcomed the Productivity Commission study into GP 'red tape' but warned that the Commission will be reporting back too late for many GPs
- Condemned the Government for its poor handling of the General Practice Computing Group (GPCG).
The AMACGP is the peak organisation representing the interests of Australia's GPs and their patients. The AMACGP is the largest Australian GP group that is totally independent of Government funding and influence.
CONTACT: Prue Power, 02 6270 5442, 0417 419 857