News

WEBINAR RECORDING NOW AVAILABLE | COVID-19 Private Hospital arrangements for Private Specialists

Published 9 April 2020

 

As part of our ongoing advocacy to ensure that reasonable arrangements are made between the private hospital providers and private specialists in response to the COVID-19 crisis, on 8 April AMA Queensland hosted a webinar with Queensland Health and Queensland’s main Private Hospital providers.

We had a great attendance with over 220 non-GP Private Specialists dialling in to ask questions and hear the latest developments on the pending agreement with private hospitals.

For those who missed it, you can find the webinar here:

AMA QUEENSLAND GUIDELINES

AMA Queensland has developed a set of principles for contracted work undertaken by non-GP Private Specialists under the COVID19 public-private partnership. Read the AMA Queensland principles HERE

INDEMNITY ARRANGEMENTS

Following Wednesday's webinar, Queensland Health has confirmed their intended approach in relation to indemnity arrangements in terms of the Private Health Facilities Funding Agreement (PHFFA) with private hospital providers is as follows:

  1. Where a Private Hospitals insurance arrangements do not extend to cover the services performed under the PHFFA and they are unable to obtain insurance or an extension of insurance on reasonable terms, the State through the Queensland Government Insurance Fund (QGIF) will seek to extend insurance coverage for Medical Malpractice and Professional Indemnity risk. The details of the insurances will rest in the deed of indemnity which in effect is an insurance policy.
  2. VMOs engaged by Private Hospitals treating public patients – same as dot point one - where their current insurances do not respond to the services under PFFHA or they are unable to obtain an extension of insurance on reasonable terms, then the State will seek to extend coverage via QGIF.
  3. Based on actuarial advice, Queensland Health will charge the Private Hospitals a premium for the risk under the PHFFA which can then be recovered through the financial viability payment.
  4. Private Hospitals will be required to maintain their current insurance arrangements for their normal activity, this includes their WorkCover insurances. When seconding their staff to other private hospitals or HHSs, the risk rests with the employer for their employees hence the need to maintain their current insurances. From a WorkCover perspective, we expect that privately engaged VMOs working on public patients in private facilities may need State assistance as their private insurance may not respond. We are just working through how this could happen and how it could be funded.
  5. The State insurances will not respond for private patients being treated by private facilities/private VMOs.

Queensland Health is in the process of preparing a FAQs document and will start next week drafting the Deed of Indemnity with Queensland Government Insurance Fund.

For any further issues emerging in your practice or at your hospital, please contact AMA Queensland on (07) 3872 2222 or covid19@amaq.com.au.