by John Lees

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• by John Lees

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Aim of this Session

• To explain broadly
• Origin of Rural Retention Program
• Reason for its existence
• Types of payment systems
• Broad overview of those systems
• Our role

Longreach
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Origin of Rural Retention Program (RRP)

• introduced July 1999
• as a National rural retention strategy
• funded by the Australian Government Department of
  Health and Ageing
• boosted by Strengthening Medicare. package to
  maintain to June 2007

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Reason for its Existence

• Financial payment to doctors in recognition of
  their work in rural and remote areas of
  Australia.

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How do I qualify?
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• To qualify you must
• work in an eligible rural location, Category A
  E
• accumulate 4 24 active quarters (depending on
  the location) or 24 qualifying units
• Payment is made on pro-rate basis dependent on
  billing
• (minimum 4,000 - maximum 20,000 per
  quarter)
• Payment is made to your nominated bank account
• Note An active quarter is or gt4,000 worth
  of Medicare billing

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• Once qualified you may continue to receive
  payments
• if you continue to work in an eligible rural
  location, Category A E, and
• you achieve 4 more active quarters
• Payments are made on pro-rate basis dependent on
  billing
• (from a minimum 4,000 to maximum 20,000
  per quarter)
• Payments are made to doctors nominated bank
  account

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How do I get my Payments?
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Through Medicare Australia

• and the automated
• Central Payments System (CPS)
• To your nominated bank account!

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So what is the CPS?
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CPS

• Central Payments System
• administered automatically by Medicare
  Australia
• for doctors billing Medicare in eligible rural
  locations
• with funding from the Australian Government
  Department of Health and Ageing

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How does Health Workforce get involved?
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Maternity Leave
Salaried Doctors
Sick Leave
Study Leave
When doctors fall out of CPS
Flexible Payments System (FPS) Safety Net
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So what then is the FPS?
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FPS

• Safety Net system (Flexible Payments System)
• Administered by Health Workforce in Queensland
• With funding from the Australian Government
• When?
• a doctors billing lt 4,000 per quarter and fall
  out of CPS automated process. (4 in 6 and 4 in 8
  rule)
• Why?
• doctor may have taken leave or.
• be in alternative employment and salaried not
  billing Medicare.
• What doctors at these?
• Hospital Doctors
• Aboriginal Medical Services (AMS) Doctors
• RFDS Doctors

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What are the FPS payment types?
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FPS Types

• Leave
• Alternative Employment
• 3. Top-Ups

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Leave

• For doctors in Categories A to E who have taken
• Maternity leave (up to 2 years)
• Up-skilling leave (up to 18 months)
• Sabbatical leave (up to 18 months)
• Leave due to illness (up to 18 months)
• RWAs can extend in extenuating circumstances

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• This does not mean that accepted Leave
  quarters will be counted towards eligibility.
• It purely means that we will
• plug the gap

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Alternative Employment

• Doctors providing primary care services in
  alternative forms of employment, e.g.
• salaried doctors employed by
• RFDS
• AMS
• State hospitals in Cat C, D or E
• doctors on Norfolk Island
• doctors on Antarctic expeditions

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Top-Ups

• Doctors in very isolated communities (Categories
  D and E) who may be receiving part payment
  through CPS but may require a Top-up through the
  FPS.
• e.g.salaried doctors at
• State Hospital doctors with private practice
  rights
• RFDS
• AMS

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FPS Assessment and Eligibility Process

• Doctors complete and sign FPS application form
• We obtain billing data prior to assessment
• Doctors must meet the qualifying period
• If eligible, request payment from Medicare
  Australia
• Health Workforce advise doctor
• Medicare Australia formally advise doctor
• Medicare Australia sends payment to nominated
  account
• Medicare Australia advise Health Workforce date
  payment made.

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Please Note!!

• payments are made through Medicare Australia.
• doctors can only receive one payment per year.
• payments made to doctors nominated bank account
• Salaried hospital docs working in Cat A and B
  locations time not counted towards eligibility.

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Please Note!!

• accepted leave is not counted towards
  eligibility, it only fills the gap
• categories based on GPARIA index not RRMA E.g.
  Biggenden RRMA 5 GPARIA B
• is not a PIP payment!!
• FPS payments based on where doctors spend their
  nights, rather than where they provide their
  services.
• payments are not taxed up front BUT!!!

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• Suggest you see your accountant about these
  payments.

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• If you need help please call
• Health Workforce Queensland on
• [phone]

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Thanks for Listening
John Lees Rural Retention Program Officer
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Any Questions
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Retention Categories and Rates as at 1 September
2002
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GP ARIA Index for RRP

• General Practitioner Accessibility and
  Remoteness Index
• Designed by
• Adelaide University (GISCA)
• sponsored by the Department of Health and Ageing
• in 1998

Note RRP Categories are based on 5 remoteness
and access variables using road distances
converted to a raw score. GPARIA Variable
descriptions
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GP ARIA Index
Category E was determined between 9.39 and 12