AGPT registrar training handbook
Training program requirements
Last revised: 16 Feb 2024
What is the 10 year moratorium?
Section 19AB of the Health Insurance Act 1973 (Cwlth) restricts access to Medicare benefits and requires these doctors to work in a distribution priority area (for general practitioners [GPs]) or a district of workforce shortage (for specialists) for at least 10 years in order to access Medicare rebates. The Act restricts access to Medicare benefits for a minimum period of 10 years (‘10-year moratorium’) unless you work in a rural or remote location (distribution priority area).
Who does the 10 year moratorium apply to?
The 10-year moratorium applies to doctors who either obtained their primary medical qualification overseas (International Medical Graduates [IMG]) or obtained their primary medical qualification in Australia or New Zealand and were not a permanent resident or Australian or New Zealand citizen at the time they enrolled in their degree (foreign graduates of an accredited medical school [FGAMS]). If you are an AGPT registrar who falls into this category, it means you must train with the rural stream in non-metropolitan areas (MMM 2–7).
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