Register, setup and maintain General Practice Aged Care Incentive (GPACI) program

The General Practice Aged Care Incentive (GPACI) is a MyMedicare incentive that providers payments for practices and providers to deliver services to permanent aged care residents (patients) in their Residential Aged Care Home (RACH) 

This allows patients to get regular services, care planning, and health assessment services in their RACH, from their preferred provider and practice. This helps improve continuity of care and reduces avoidable hospitalisations. 

GPs and practices will receive an incentive payment quarterly if they:  

• are registered with MyMedicare, and  

• meet the General Practice in Aged Care Incentive eligibility and servicing requirements.   

Eligible GPs and practices will receive incentive payments for providing services to each of their registered patients in a residential aged care home rather than at their practice.   Patients must be registered with MyMedicare and identified by the responsible GP and practice to participate in the incentive.   

Payments are:   

• $300 per patient, per year, paid to the responsible GP, and  

• $130 per patient, per year, paid to the practice.  

The payments will be quarterly, in addition to existing Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS) and Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) rebates for services delivered.  Rural loadings will apply to the responsible GP and practice incentive payments for Modified Monash Model (MMM) regions MMM 3 to MMM 7.  

Information for General Practices  

The General Practice in Aged Care Incentive Guidelines provide clear guidance to general practices and primary care providers that register to access the General Practice in Aged Care Incentive. The guidelines also provide advice on the service requirements, payments and assessments, and appeals process. 

Eligible GPACI MBS items are listed here.

Aged and Community Care Providers Association have provided templates for a Memorandum of Understanding between GPs and RACHs, and an Agreement for Provision of Medical Services by General Practitioner to Residents of Residential Aged Care Homes.

Further details of the program and supporting documents are available from Department of Health and Aged Care GPACI Page 

RACGP Webinar

A webinar was also held in collaboration with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) on 14 August to provide an overview of the General Practice in Aged Care Incentive, as well as how GPs can make the most of the new incentive and how General Practitioners (GPs) can keep on top of their obligations under the incentive. The discussion was robust and touched upon the policy intent, key features to support rural and remote areas, accreditation exemptions and participation by sole providers. The webinar recording is available on the RACGP website.

GPACI Information Videos

• What is MyMedicare and the General Practice in Aged Care Incentive (GPACI)?
  • Interview with Aged Care GP Champion, Dr Billy Stoupas, surrounding MyMedicare and the General Practice in Aged Care Incentive.
• The General Practice in Aged Care Incentive and How to Register Patients
  • Interview with Dr Billy Stoupas, surrounding MyMedicare and the General Practice in Aged Care Incentive. This video provides an overview of the incentive and suggestions on how to encourage registration amongst residents living in Aged Care. (via South Eastern Melbourne PHN)

Step-by-Step instructions for General Practices:

STEP ONE: Register Practice to MyMedicare GPACI program 

1. Before you begin, ensure you have completed the below; 
   1. Register an organisation 
   2. Setup your site organisation 
   3. Register for MyMedicare program 
2. Follow the step-by-step guidance to add MyMedicare GPACI program 
3. Note, Banking details for the incentive are sourced from the MyMedicare program Registration, any changes to banking details must be made against the MyMedicare program registration ‘details’. 
4.  Ensure providers have updated bank details and added the MyMedicare + MyMedicare incentive program to receive their payments. Print or send to each of your providers to complete.

STEP TWO: Adding the Incentive Indicator to patient list 

1. Patients must be registered for MyMedicare first before GPACI indicator can be added. Steps can be done at the same time as registering a patient for MyMedicare or at a later date. 
2. Follow the step-by-step to register patients for MyMedicare if you haven’t already completed 
3. Follow the step-by-step to add the GPACI incentive indicator to eligible Aged Care patients   
4. Ensure you have also added the responsible provider  

Services Australia resources: 

• ORGREGINFO18 – How to add the MyMedicare General Practice in Aged Care Incentive as a new program in the Organisation Register (servicesaustralia.gov.au) 

• ORGREGINFO19 – How to Opt out or Opt in to the MyMedicare General Practice in Aged Care Incentive (servicesaustralia.gov.au) 

• MYMEDINFO7-Steps required to add the MyMedicare General Practice in Aged Care Incentive (servicesaustralia.gov.au) 

• MYMEDINFO4-Adding the MyMedicare General Practice in Aged Care Incentive Indicator (servicesaustralia.gov.au) 

PRODA Helpdesk – Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm (local time)
Phone 1800 700 199 and select option 1
Email: [email protected]

HPOS helpdesk – Monday to Friday, 8am – 5pm (local time) Phone: 13 21 50, select option 6

Contact your Primary Health Coordinator for more information, contact details provided below.