Closed: 9 November 2016
In the 2016-17 Federal Budget, the Australian Government announced a review of the Practice Incentives Program (PIP). The Department of Health has released a consultation paper on Redesigning the Practice Incentives Program and is seeking stakeholder feedback on the redesign.
The stated intention of the redesign is to reduce the administrative burden associated with multiple PIP payments and move towards a streamlined and simplified system. The redesign will introduce a Quality Improvement Incentive to replace 7 of the 11 incentives in the current PIP. It is anticipated that funds available through the redesigned PIP will remain unchanged from current levels. The After-hours, eHealth, Rural Loading and Teaching incentives will not be affected by the PIP redesign.
The RACGP is seeking your feedback on a number of key questions raised in the consultation paper. In addition to the questions raised in the paper, the RACGP is also seeking your feedback on the two preliminary redesign options outlined on page 15 – 16 of the consultation paper.
The Consultation paper raises the following key questions:
- What are the strengths of the current PIP?
- How has the PIP influenced your quality improvement work to date?
- What elements of the current PIP should be kept and which should change?
- What aspects of the current PIP can be improved through better use of technology?
- What is the best way to ensure the PIP funds meet the principle for efficient, effective and economical and ethical use of public money?
- How would we ensure that the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are considered and continue to be met under a redesigned PIP?
- Would you participate in a patient focussed quality improvement PIP incentive?
- What are the key aspects of quality improvement that should be captured in a redesign of the PIP?
- Would you like to provide an example of a quality Practice improvement incentive payment as outlined?
- Do you support the use of collated regional data for population health and planning purposes?
- Do you have any suggestions to improve the proposed Quality Improvement Incentive payment?