{"id":16263,"date":"2025-03-22T02:58:59","date_gmt":"2025-03-22T02:58:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dnamedicalrecruitment.com.au\/?p=16263"},"modified":"2025-04-29T03:18:31","modified_gmt":"2025-04-29T03:18:31","slug":"a-guide-to-australias-rural-gp-incentive-grant-programs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dnamedicalrecruitment.com.au\/a-guide-to-australias-rural-gp-incentive-grant-programs\/","title":{"rendered":"A guide to Australia\u2019s rural GP incentive &#038; grant programs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Thinking about working rurally as a GP in Australia? From a career point of view it could be quite lucrative, with incentives of up to $110,500 per annum available \u2013 assuming you meet 100% of the eligibility requirements.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Doctors working permanently or as locums in MM 3-7 locations have access to three incentive and grant programs, designed to encourage skilled medical professionals to move to these areas and help in-need communities, while continuing to push their career, maintain professional development and earn a good income.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">So, what do you need to know about these programs? Today we\u2019re going to give you quick rundown of the&#8230;<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"none\">Workforce Incentive Program (WIP) Doctor Stream<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.gov.au\/our-work\/workforce-incentive-program\/workforce-incentive-program-rural-advanced-skills-stream\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">WIP \u2013 Rural Advanced Skills Stream<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.gov.au\/our-work\/rpgp\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Rural Procedural Grants Program (RPGP)<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>\u200e \u200e \u200e<\/p>\n<h2 aria-level=\"2\">What you need to know about the WIP \u2013 Doctor Stream<\/h2>\n<h3 aria-level=\"3\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">What is the WIP \u2013 Doctor Stream?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The WIP \u2013 Doctor Stream has been built to promote careers in rural medicine by giving doctors a financial incentive to practice in Australia\u2019s more remote communities. It uses two systems to assess and pay these incentives, which are:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Central Payment System (CPS)<\/strong> <span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u2013 an incentive for services claimed to Medicare, fully managed by the Department of Health\/Medicare.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Flexible Payment System (FPS)<\/strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> &#8211; an incentive for services which may not be caught by Medicare claims, managed by your state rural workforce agency.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">GPs who receive a CPS payment may also be eligible for a \u2018top-up\u2019 FPS payment, depending on their situation.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Learn more:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.gov.au\/our-work\/workforce-incentive-program\/doctor-stream#eligible-doctors\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Full eligibility criteria<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 aria-level=\"3\">How much money can you receive?<\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Doctors in this incentive program can receive payments of <\/span><strong>between $3,600 and $60,000 per year<\/strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, depending on factors like:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Activity levels<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Location<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Length of time in the program<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Vocational registration status<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Non-vocationally registered doctors who are not on approved training pathways can still receive payments, amounting to 80% of the value.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 aria-level=\"3\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Key things to know about the WIP \u2013 Doctor Stream<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li><strong> This stream favours more remote regions.<\/strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> Work in MM 7 is the highest rewarded, and if you don\u2019t reach the maximum threshold in these areas, the automated system goes on to see if you have any claims from MM 6 and so on until the threshold is met. If you don\u2019t meet the minimum, you are not eligible that quarter.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong> Trying to earn your first payment?<\/strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> You will need to be eligible for payments from MM 6 and 7 regions in four consecutive quarters. This will then increase every other year until you have provided services for five years.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong> You must register your bank details in HPOS.<\/strong> <span data-contrast=\"auto\">When you become eligible for your first WIP payment, you will receive a letter from Medicare through your HPOS inbox \u2013 this can take a few weeks to arrive. This letter will request your personal bank details within 60 days, or else you can\u2019t receive payments.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"15\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Note:<\/strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> You cannot pre-emptively add your bank details for WIP payments. You must become eligible first, then wait to receive your letter. Then the appropriate section will appear in HPOS to be filled out.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"4\">\n<li><strong> Remember this is still income.<\/strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> You will need to declare it for tax purposes.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p aria-level=\"2\">\u200e \u200e \u200e<\/p>\n<h2 aria-level=\"2\">What you need to know about the WIP \u2013 Rural Advanced Skills Stream<\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This program is for GPs and rural generalists with specialist qualifications and advanced skills working in regional, rural and remote communities. It also consists of two payment streams, which are:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Emergency Medicine<\/strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> \u2013 a payment for doctors providing emergency care and emergency after hours services in eligible locations.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Advanced Skills<\/strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> \u2013 payments for doctors who hold recognised qualifications in advanced skills, such as obstetrics, anaesthetics, surgery, mental health and\/or First Nations Health.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Doctors can be eligible for both streams if they meet all the relevant criteria.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Learn more: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.gov.au\/our-work\/workforce-incentive-program\/workforce-incentive-program-rural-advanced-skills-stream#eligible-doctors\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Full eligibility criteria<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 aria-level=\"3\">How much money can you receive?<\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In both streams, payments range <\/span><strong>from $4,000 up to $10,500 per annum.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Payments are scaled to encourage service delivery in more remote areas, and are based on the type of work you do in those locations.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 aria-level=\"3\">Key things to know about the WIP \u2013 Rural Advanced Skills Stream<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li><strong> You have to meet two types of eligibility criteria.<\/strong> <span data-contrast=\"auto\">The first is a certain amount of general practice \u201crosters\u201d (define as one lot of four or more hours within a 24-hour period), and second is a certain number of advanced skills rosters of the same duration.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"7\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Note:<\/strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> You can claim two separate types of rosters within the same period, but not two of the same type.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li><strong> This program does not follow quarters.<\/strong> <span data-contrast=\"auto\">It follows a 12-month period, starting on your nominated date. This is important, as at time of writing funding has only been promised for 2023, 2024 and 2025 (you can claim retrospectively). If you nominate a date later than January 1, 2023, you\u2019ll be well into 2024 before your second period starts, then well into 2025 for your third period \u2013 if funding stops, you may end up ineligible this year due to not having enough rosters.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong> Don\u2019t forget to get evidence.<\/strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> You may need to ask your employer if they can provide documentation which includes your work details.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p aria-level=\"2\">\u200e \u200e \u200e<\/p>\n<h2 aria-level=\"2\">What you need to know about the Rural Procedural Grants Program (RPGP)<\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This final program is meant to cover the professional development costs of procedural GPs working in rural and remote areas. It\u2019s managed by both ACCRM and RACGP, but you can only apply to be registered with one of the colleges.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">As before, there are two payment streams here, including:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Emergency<\/strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> \u2013 a payment for GPs practising emergency medicine (including mental health services).<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong>Procedural<\/strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> \u2013 a payment for GPs with advanced skills practising in surgery, anaesthetics and\/or obstetrics.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Learn more:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.gov.au\/our-work\/rpgp#eligibility\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Full eligibility criteria<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 aria-level=\"3\">How much money can you get?<\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">GPs practising emergency services can claim <\/span><strong>up to a cap of $6,000<\/strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> each financial year, which can be provided for three days of face-to-face training or online training, plus three additional days of emergency mental health training.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Those in the procedural payments stream can earn <\/span><strong>up to $20,000<\/strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> per financial year, including up to 10 days of face-to-face or online training.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 aria-level=\"3\">Key things to know about the RPGP<\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li><strong> This program is based on financial years<\/strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><strong>,<\/strong> not quarters or nominated years like the WIP.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong> Locums must undertake a minimum of 28 days of locum work to be eligible.<\/strong><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> This must be performed within MM 3-7 locations. Learn more about <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dnamedicalrecruitment.com.au\/your-guide-to-becoming-a-locum-doctor-in-australia-nz\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">becoming a locum doctor here<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong> You can\u2019t claim costs before you have registered.<\/strong> <span data-contrast=\"auto\">But, once your registration is successful, you can make retrospective claims in future financial years.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>\u200e \u200e \u200e \u200e<\/p>\n<h2 aria-level=\"2\">Need advice on taking the next step in your doctor career?<\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">We can help.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">At DNA Healthcare, we find secure, relevant opportunities for Australian doctors which suit their skills, career stage and personal goals. Our team is highly experienced in the medical landscape, and works with all levels and specialties at more than 9,000 organisations across the country.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>To take the next step in your career, learn more about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dnamedicalrecruitment.com.au\/dna-medical\/\">how we help Australian doctors<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dnamedicalrecruitment.com.au\/contact-us\/\">contact us<\/a> for a chat.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thinking about working rurally as a GP in Australia? From a career point of view it could be quite lucrative, with incentives of up to $110,500 per annum available \u2013 assuming you meet 100% of the eligibility requirements.\u00a0 Doctors working permanently or as locums in MM 3-7 locations have access to three incentive and grant&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":16273,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16263","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dna"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dnamedicalrecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16263","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dnamedicalrecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dnamedicalrecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dnamedicalrecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dnamedicalrecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16263"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.dnamedicalrecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16263\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16267,"href":"https:\/\/www.dnamedicalrecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16263\/revisions\/16267"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dnamedicalrecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media\/16273"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dnamedicalrecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dnamedicalrecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16263"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dnamedicalrecruitment.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}