PIP QI Incentive Guidance

The Practice Incentive Program (PIP) Quality Improvement (QI) Incentive starts on 1 August 2019 and in anticipation of the launch, the Australian Government’s Department of Health has released a number of documents to support practice teams navigate their qualifications and eligibility for the new incentive payment.

The PIP QI is a payment to general practices that participate in quality improvement to improve patient outcomes and deliver the best patient care.

As detailed on the Department of Health’s website, there are two key areas a general practice needs to meet to qualify for the PIP QI Incentive Payment:

1. PARTICIPATE IN CONTINUOUS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT
   The PIP QI Incentive will reward practices for participating in continuous quality improvement activities in partnership with their local Primary Health Network (PHN). Practices may undertake quality improvement activities that focus on specified Improvement Measures. There are no set targets for the Improvement Measures. Practices can also choose to focus their activities on other areas. These areas must be informed by their clinical information system data and meet the needs of their practice population.

2. PROVIDE THE PIP ELIGIBLE DATA SET TO YOUR LOCAL PHN
   General practices must provide to their local PHN the PIP Eligible Data Set from their general practice clinical information system. The PIP Eligible Data Set is the data collected against the specified Improvement Measures. PHNs will use the de-identified data to provide feedback to general practices. This will help the practices identify key priority areas and quality improvement activities.

Medicare has encouraged you to contact your local PHN to make sure you’re prepared for these changes. Visit the Department of Health Primary Health Network (PHNs) page and select the contact tab to find your local PHN.

To understand the PIP QI requirements and PIP data governance arrangements, the following documents will be available online shortly:

• PIP QI Guidelines
• Improvement Measures
• PIP Eligible Data Set Data Governance Framework

The Australian Government has decided to retain the Aged Care Access Incentive. This means that on 1 August 2019, when the PIP QI commences, only four incentives will cease on 31 July 2019. These are:

• Asthma Incentive
• Quality Prescribing Incentive
• Cervical Screening Incentive
• Diabetes Incentive.

These seven incentives do not change:

• eHealth Incentive
• After Hours Incentive
• Rural Loading Incentive
• Teaching Payment
• Indigenous Health Incentive
• Procedural General Practitioner Payment
• General Practitioner Aged Care Access Incentive.

You’ll be able to register for the PIP QI Incentive online through HPOS from 1 August 2019 using your Provider Digital Access (PRODA) account. If you don’t have a PRODA account you can register for one. Go to www.humanservices.gov.au/hpos to log on and get more information.

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Available via the Department of Health’s website, you can access the following resources to support your team with better understanding the PIP QI requirements:

• PIP QI Guidelines (draft)
• Improvement Measures
• PIP Eligible Data Set Data Governance Framework

Our team will continue to update you with any additional information or updates as they become available.