Overview

The Aged Care Access Initiative (ACAI) commenced in July 2009 and has 2 components: GP incentive payments for managing residents in aged care homes; and funding for the provision of allied health services for residents. The ACAI replaces the Aged Care GP Panels Program.

Aim

The aim of the ACAI is to improve access to primary care (GP and allied health services) for residents of aged care facilities.

GP Incentive Payments

This is an incentive payment through the Practice Incentives Program (PIP) to encourage GPs to provide more services in RACFs. The GP ACAI recognises some of the difficulties faced by GPs in providing care in these settings and aims to encourage GPs to continue to provide increased and continuing services in residential aged care facilities (RACFs). The PIP payments are administered through Medicare Australia.

Payments are made to the GP who provided the service rather than to the practice. Payments are two-tiered and are linked to GP claims for any item specifically related to service provision in an aged care facility – this includes MBS items 20, 35, 43, 51, 92, 93, 95, 96, 712, 731, 734, 736, 738, 775, 778, 779, 903, 5010, 5028, 5049, 5067, 5260, 5263, 5265, 5267.

The payments are triggered automatically. The first $1000.00 when 60 services are claimed and the second of $1500.00 when 140 services are claimed. The PIP is capped at $2500.00 per year.

For more details of the aged care PIP, view the Medicare website.

Allied Health Services

Under the ACAI, the General Practice Networks have funding to provide allied health services to residents of aged care facilities. ACAI funded services are to provide clinical care for residents over and above services already received under the current funding at the aged care facility. ACAI services can include rehabilitation, management of complex conditions and other additional allied health interventions.

The Murrumbidgee General Practice Network (MGPN) employs an Aged Care Pharmacist one day per week with the ACAI funding to provide education to the staff and residents of RACFs on topics identified by the RACF staff as an area of need. In addition to this the MGPN has employed a physiotherapist to provide services to residents in low care facilities.

The ACAI is expected to support an additional 260,000 GP consultations and provide approximately 150,000 allied health services in RACFs over a 4 year period.