The Closing the Gap program aims to reduce and then close the gap in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander life expectancy by encouraging greater use, and improved cultural safety, of mainstream primary care services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals and communities.
Chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, diabetes and cancer are some of the biggest killers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. The affect of these diseases can be greatly reduced through changes in lifestyle and healthier life choices.
Close the Gap's priority areas are to tackle chronic disease risk factors for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders such as smoking, poor nutrition and lack of exercise and to deliver community education initiatives to reduce the prevalence of these risk factors.
In the Central Highlands region, the program will have a particular focus on building and strengthening partnerships and on identifying and addressing barriers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals and communities accessing quality health care and comprehensive chronic disease management locally.
Central Highlands Close the Gap team will play a key role in supporting the introduction of a number of new Government initiatives to promote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander access to quality chronic disease management services, including the Indigenous Health Incentive PIP and PBS Co-payment Measure.
Indigenous Health Incentive PIP and PBS Co-payment Measure
The PIP Indigenous Health Incentive has three payments, which are summarised below:
|
Payment Type |
Activity required for payment |
Payment |
|
Sign-on payment |
One-off payment to practices that join the incentive and agree to undertake specified activities to improve the care provided to their Indigenous patients with a chronic disease. To claim the sign-on payment complete and submit an Indigenous Health Incentive Application Form. Sign-on payments are paid in the next available quarterly payment |
$1000 |
|
Patient registration payment |
A payment to practices for each Indigenous patient aged 15 years and over, registered with the practice for chronic disease management for a 12 month period. To claim a patient registration payment complete and submit an Indigenous Health Incentive and PBS Co-payment Measure Patient Registration Form. Patient registration payments are paid in the next available quarterly payment |
$250 per eligible patient |
|
Outcomes payments |
Tier 1: a payment to practices for each registered patient for whom a target level of care is provided by the practice in a 12 month period. Tier 1 payments are automatically assessed and paid in the quarter following the provision of the required services. |
$100 per eligible patient |
|
Tier 2: payment to practices for providing the majority of patient care for each registered patient within a 12 month period. Tier 2 payments are automatically assessed and paid annually in February. |
$150 per eligible patient |
Subsidising PBS medicine co-payments
The Government will provide further assistance with the cost of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medicines for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients living with, or at risk of, chronic disease. The assistance - from 1 July 2010 - will be in the form of lower co-payments, which are the amounts paid by patients for each PBS medicine.
The cost of medicines has been identified as a significant barrier to improved access to medicines for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Access to PBS medicines is an important aspect of preventing and treating illnesses. Despite two to three times higher levels of illness, PBS expenditure for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is about half that of the non-Indigenous average.
Dental services under Medicare
Medicare dental items (Medicare items 85011-87777) are available for people with chronic conditions and complex care needs, on referral from a GP. Eligible patients can access up to $4,250 in Medicare benefits for dental services over two consecutive calendar years. This could be offered to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients with a chronic condition. For more information please see refer to the fact sheet for GP's under resources.
For further information about this program, please contact: Fran DeGrandi
Important note - In the Closing the Gap GP Resource kits, card #1 - "Information for General Practitioners on the Chronic Disease Package", there is an error on page 2 in the GP checklist box. The last item - "Re-register patient and practice annually (for PIP IHI only) should read " Re-register patient annually (for PIP IHI). There is no requirement to re-register the practice annually.
Recommended resources
Closing the Gap Indigenous Chronic Disease
Indigenous health incentive guidelines (PIP)
Practice Incentive Program (PIP) - FAQ's
PBS Co payment Measure Fact sheet for GP's
Indigenous health incentive PBS Co payment Measure patient registration
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health Assessment resource kits
Fact Sheet - Dental Services Under Medicare