AMA secures parental leave Ahpra fee relief
Reduced fees coming soon following AMA advocacy.
Ahpra's plan to introduce a 30 per cent rebate for practitioners who take six month's or more leave for parental or carers leave is a welcome interim step, providing a fairer fee structure for doctors and other health professionals. The move comes after strong advocacy from the AMA, state AMAs and AMA Victoria President, Dr Jill Tomlinson, throughout 2024.
The AMA wrote to Ahpra in April and met with senior Ahpra staff to discuss this issue on a number of occasions, and Dr Tomlinson's petition received 3,800 signatures.
AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen wrote to Ahpra on Monday supporting the proposed introduction of the rebate, provided there is a proper review after 12 months and noted Ahpra’s commitment to further exploration of equitable fee arrangements for practitioners.
Under the new arrangement, practitioners who have taken six months of parental, disability, or carer’s leave will be able to apply for a 30 per cent rebate on their annual registration. The rebate will start taking place from 1 July 2025, while a wider review of pro rata fees gets underway. To notify Ahpra, the registrant will be required to make a declaration during the renewal of registration, which is an appropriate mechanism to implement in this model.
Ahpra fees have been a major focus for the AMA in 2024 after the significant increase in 2023. The AMA's advocacy to health ministers has ensured that Ahpra registration fees are not being used to fund the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme complexity review or the new Specialist IMG expedited pathways.
