New Aged Care Incentive ‘a bandaid solution’

With the launch of the new General Practice in Aged Care Incentive just months away, GPs have raised concerns about whether the program’s strict conditions will leave them worse off.
 
Under the initiative, GPs must provide eight consultations and two care plans to a residential aged care patient every year to be eligible for a $300 payment.
 
Additionally, telehealth can only be used in Modified Monash Model (MMM) areas 4 to 7 for up to four regular visits per year.
 
While of the eight consultations, only one each quarter can be delivered by a member of the patient’s care team other than the usual GP.
 
According to a recent newsGP poll, 54% of the 1587 respondents say they would not provide these aged care services regardless of the incentive.
 
When asked which incentive amount would be enough to encourage them to provide the service, around one third of GPs said $1100, 9% said between $300 and $900, while none answered $100.
 
Dr Anthony Marinucci, Chair of RACGP Specific Interests Aged Care, told newsGP these results are indicative of a declining rate of GPs willing to work in the aged care sector, with the reason for this multifactorial but includes issues such as increasing administrative burdens and lack of out-of-hours support.
 
‘But I would suggest that a leading reason is the lack of funding and poor remuneration,’ he said.

‘This complexity of care is 100% not captured in the current fee-for-service Medicare model and one of the chief complaints of GPs around the country who work in the sector is that a large proportion of their work goes unremunerated because it doesn’t satisfy MBS criteria. 
 
‘These aged care incentives are intended to address this funding shortfall, but I feel the general sentiment of doctors around the country is that they fall significantly short.’
 
Dr Marinucci said this is particularly apparent if aged care is only a small proportion of a GP’s work, with the results of the newsGP poll also aligning with this sentiment.
 
The incentive change, which was announced last year, comes as part of the MyMedicare rollout, and will see $300 per patient, per year paid quarterly to GPs directly, and $130 per patient, per year to be paid quarterly to the practice, if the criteria is satisfied.
 
The new program will replace the existing one and is set to have a significant impact for GPs who are currently providing aged care services, including for those who do this exclusively.
 
And with 193,000 people already using permanent or respite residential care, coupled with Australia’s ageing population, Dr Marinucci said the incentive is ‘but a bandaid solution’.
 
‘With eyes to the future, we need to start planning now for  how we can adequately provide medical care to our ageing population,’ he said.
 
‘I look forward to proper stakeholder engagement to identify the funding and support gaps.
 
‘The practitioners at the coalface should be the ones proposing models of sustainable care and changes.’
 
The RACGP has raised member concerns and will continue do so with the Department of Health and Aged Care and the Minister for Health and Aged Care.
 
The General Practice in Aged Care Incentive is set to kick off on 1 August this year, but practices and providers will be able to begin registering themselves and their patients through MyMedicare and delivering eligible services from 1 July.
 
Log in below to join the conversation.

aged care incentives MyMedicare