AGED CARE ACCESS INITIATIVE
In the last Federal Budget, the Government decided to redirect funding from Aged Care Panels to service delivery. The Department of Health and Ageing has now given limited details of how this policy change will be implemented.
Starting this month, GPs currently participating in Practice Incentives Program will be eligible to receive a GP Aged Care Access Incentive payment once they reach a predetermined threshold level of service provision to residential aged care facilities (RACFs). Services will be calculated during the financial year from 1 July – 30 June 2009, with first payments to be made in February 2009 to GPs who reach the Qualifying Service Level (QSL) for 2008-09.
Full details are not yet available. GPs can expect Medicare Australia to contact them with further information in the near future. Further information will also be available from the Department of Health and Ageing soon.
AMACGP MEETING THIS WEEKEND
The AMA Council of General Practice is meeting this weekend in Melbourne. Key topics of discussion will include the 2008-09 Federal Budget, GP Super Clinics, the National Health and Reform Commission, GP MRI referral, GP visits to RACFs, the Government’s Primary Health Care Review, and the recent Professional Service Review commentary on the use of Level C/D consultation items.
IN-FEES NEWSLETTER
The latest edition of in-fees is now available and includes:
• a list of new items and amendments that have been included on the Schedule and AMA Fees List;
• completed Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) assessments;
• Government initiatives - type 2 diabetes, healthy kids check and autism;
• a new rule to clarify the use of post-operative pain pumps;
• MSAC submission on home-based sleep studies;
• information on increased Medicare audits;
• claiming MBS items 721 (GP management plan) or 723 (team care arrangement); and
• details regarding online learning for rural and remote medical practitioners.
NPS DUE KITS TO HELP RACFS ACHIEVE QUM
The National Prescribing Service Limited (NPS) has two Drug Use Evaluation (DUE) toolkits currently available from their website at www.nps.org.au. The toolkits are to help promote Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) in residential aged care facilities. The current DUE toolkits available are:
· hypnotics (benzodiazepine and non-benzodiazepine) for insomnia; and
· antipsychotic use in the management of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia.
More toolkits are in development with one on analgesics to be released later this year.
GPS NEEDED FOR WOOLCOCK INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL RESEARCH STUDY
The Woolcock Institute of Medical Research is a not-for-profit respiratory/sleep research organisation based in Sydney and is currently conducting a study into the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnoea in primary care. The Institute would like to involve in this study GPs throughout the greater Sydney area as well as in some regional and rural areas. GPs interested in participating can find out more here.