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Introduction of GPRIP

RRIPS/GPRIP enquiry line ph: 02 6263 6707

The General Practice Rural Incentives Program (GPRIP) commenced on 1 July 2010. It aims to promote careers in rural medicine and increase the number of doctors in rural and remote communities in the long term. The registrar component of GPRIP provides incentive payments to registrars on the AGPT program training in RA2-5 locations.

 

Registrar Rural Incentive Payments Scheme phase-out

GPRIP replaces the Registrars Rural Incentive Payments Scheme (RRIPS), which will be completely phased in out in 2012. 

RRIPS payments (instead of GPRIP payments) are still available for registrars who commenced the AGPT program before 1 July 2010. All training units commencing after 31 December 2012 will no longer be eligible for RRIPS and will be assessed under GPRIP.

This phasing out of RRIPS is referred to by the Department of Health and Ageing and Medicare as 'grandparenting arrangements'. The grandparenting arrangements apply until:

  • You reach your RRIPS cap
  • You choose to opt out of RRIPS*
  • You complete the AGPT program (become fellowed)

    Or 

  • The end of the 2012 training year (whichever occurs first).

If you reach the RRIPS cap during training or you choose to opt out of RRIPS (before completing training or reaching the cap) you will be switched to the GPRIP registrar component.

When you complete the AGPT program and become fellowed you will automatically be switched to the GPRIP GP component.

All registrars eligible for grandparenting arrangements (and still training in AGPT) at the end of the 2012 training year will automatically be switched to GPRIP registrar component.

* A decision to opt out is a 'one-off' option and cannot be reversed. There may be circumstances when the opt-out option provides the registrar with a more favourable outcome (e.g. a registrar in their final training period may be posted in a training location that is GPRIP-eligible but not RRIPS-eligible). A registrar who chooses to opt out must inform GPET of the decision. This should be done by email to gpripadministrator@gpet.com.au; the email must indicate the semester the opt-out request should apply to (so that the opt-out will apply from that semester onwards). The email must also indicate that the registrar has discussed the matter with their RTP before making the decision to opt out of RRIPS.

 

Automated processing system for RRIPS and GPRIP payments

The automated processing system for RRIPS and GPRIP payments commenced in 2011. Payments are made by Medicare based on information, provided by GPET from your AGPT training record (maintained by your RTP).

Each registrar who finishes an eligible training term will receive an email from GPET in the month following completion of that term. The email will contain details of the training unit that is deemed eligible for RRIPS or GPRIP payments. You will be asked to check the details and respond to the email. If you believe that the information is not correct you should say why. This will assist your RTP to resolve the matter and correct the data.

Note: It is important that your RTP has your email address correctly recorded in RIDE as this is the email GPET will use to contact you.

Upon receipt of your return email (if you have confirmed the information), GPET will submit the payment record to Medicare for processing. Medicare will then arrange to remit the incentive payment to your nominated account, this will take approximately eight weeks. If you reply that the information contained in the email is not correct, GPET will forward your email to your RTP to resolve the issue directly with you.

You are required to submit your bank account details directly to Medicare to receive your payment. This should be done if:

  • You are commencing with or switching to GPRIP
  • You have not already submitted your bank details under RRIPS

    Or

  • There is any change to your bank details.

Visit the DoctorConnect GPRIP webpage and click on the link to GPRIP bank details form. The same bank details form is used for GPRIP GP component, GPRIP registrar component and RRIPS. 
 

 

RRIPS claims under the old system

 
Medicare is no longer processing RRIPS claims. Questions regarding training units that commenced before 1 July 2010 (even if that eligible training finishes after 1 July 2010) should be submitted to the Department of Health and Ageing at fax (02) 6289 7900 or email GPRIP@health.gov.au.

 

 

Contacts for further information