General practices across Australia, including those in urban areas as well as Aboriginal Medical Services and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services may be eligible for an incentive to offset the costs of employing a practice nurse. Part of the eligibility requirement is that your practice is accredited under the current Royal Australian College of General Practitioners standards for general practices.

The new program also includes:

support for practices in urban areas of workforce shortages, Aboriginal Medical Services and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services to employ an allied health professional instead of or in addition to a practice nurse and/or Aboriginal Health Worker;
a rural loading of up to 50% based on the Australian Standard Geographical Classification – Remoteness Areas (ASGC-RA);
a loading for Aboriginal Medical Services and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services;
a one off $5,000 incentive to support eligible non-accredited practices to become accredited; and
a loading for practices that provide GPs services to Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold Card Holders.

Grandparenting arrangements are available for the first three years of the program to ensure that practices are not financially disadvantaged by the introduction of the PNIP.

The PNIP simplifies previous financing arrangements by consolidating funding under the Practice Incentives Program Practice Nurse Incentive and six of the MBS practice nurse items and redirecting them into a single payment to eligible general practices.

Please note: the following MBS practice nurse items covering immunisation, cervical smears, and treatment of a person’s wound are no longer available:

10993
10994
10995
10996
10998
10999

The funding for these items has been redirected to the PNIP.

The PNIP provides incentive payments to practices of:

$25,000 per annum, per 1,000 SWPE where a Registered Nurse and/or allied health professional (where applicable) works at least 12 hours 40 minutes per week; and
$12,500 per annum, per 1,000 SWPE where an Enrolled Nurse and/or Aboriginal Health Worker works at least 12 hours 40 minutes per week.

A fact sheet providing further information about the PNIP is available on the yourHealth website.

The PNIP is administered by Medicare Australia on behalf of the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

Further information on the PNIP including details on practice eligibility, how to apply and the Program Guidelines are available on Medicare Australia’s website: http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/pnip