Healthy Matters January News Updates

In Sunshine Coast by Pikka Turangan

MyMedicare and GPACI Program Milestones: January 2025

  • MyMedicare has achieved significant engagement, with more than 1 million patients registered, 6,329 general practices enrolled, and approximately 47,000 provider numbers linked.
  • The General Practice in Aged Care Incentive (GPACI) has shown strong national uptake in its first quarter, with 2,200 practices enrolled and 62,000 residential aged care home residents registered.

These milestones reflect a strong commitment to enhancing both primary and aged care services.

GPACI Patient Registration Update: Backdating Now Available
The GPACI commenced on 1 July 2024, with the first quarter’s eligibility assessed and paid in October 2024. Some practices and GPs, however, did not receive the expected quarter one payments due to incomplete GPACI registration of MyMedicare-registered patients in the Organisation Register.

For a limited time, the Department of Health and Aged Care is allowing GPACI-registered practices to backdate their GPACI registration of MyMedicare-registered patients. This backdating will enable the reassessment of eligible services delivered between July and December 2024.

To determine your practice’s eligibility, please review the Backdating Patient Registration Factsheet. Comms to house document and add link location here

Helpful resources for common errors

The Department has created a helpful guide to assist general practices in troubleshooting common errors and warning codes that may occur when using or accessing MyMedicare and GPACI.

Organisation Register Updates: Key Changes Introduced in December
On 9 December 2024, Services Australia implemented significant updates to the Organisation Register to support MyMedicare and GPACI programs.

 1. New Mandatory Data Field: Practice Type
All new practices registering with MyMedicare must select a practice type during registration. The available options include:

  • General Practice
  • Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service
  • Aboriginal Medical Service
  • Mobile Practice
  • Outreach Practice
  • Sole Provider Practice
  • Nurse Practitioner-led Practice with a GP

Currently registered practices are strongly encouraged to update their practice type in the Organisation Register to ensure accurate information.

2.Accreditation Details
Accreditation details recorded in the Organisation Register will now determine MyMedicare eligibility for accredited practices. Practices must ensure their accreditation details and dates are correct by 31 March 2025 to maintain their eligibility.

Key points:

  • New certificates or renewal details should be added as new entries in the register.
  • Practices working towards accreditation remain eligible during the 12-month accreditation period.
  • Non-accredited practices offering general practice services through mobile or outreach models can claim an accreditation exemption until 30 June 2025.

Practices are encouraged to review the updated resources on the Health Professionals Education (hyperlink) site, including simulations and updated slide guides, to stay compliant with these changes.

Online Registration for Children Under 14 Years
From 9 December 2024, parents or guardians can register children under 14 years online via the Medicare Online Account or the Medicare Express Plus App. This option is available if the child is listed on the same Medicare card as the parent or guardian. This enhancement simplifies the registration process for families and supports wider adoption of MyMedicare.

All information above current as at November 2024.

Looking Ahead

To further support aged care staff, CCQ have recently refreshed the MyMedicare and GPACI web pages. These updated resources provide the latest information and are designed to offer a more user-friendly experience. (link placeholder here) Comms please link to the new webpage post refresh

For more information or assistance, please contact healthyageing@c2coast.org.au.

 

Make a 2025 a MyHealth4Life year!

CCQ welcomes health professional referrals to My Health 4 Life, a Queensland Government- funded chronic disease prevention program for people at high risk of type 2 diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. Eligible patients receive free health coaching from qualified allied health professionals for up to six months, helping them adopt healthier lifestyle habits and reduce the risk of chronic disease.

With up to 66% of Queenslanders overweight or obese, and 43% reporting insufficient physical activity, many patients need extra support to understand their risks, set realistic goals, and overcome barriers to better health. To date, over 30,000 Queenslanders have joined the My Health 4 Life program with notable outcomes:

  • 68% of participants have reduced their waistline
  • 55% meet alcohol consumption guidelines
  • 88% report a positive impact on their health and wellbeing
  • 98% feel motivated to continue improving their health

Patients can be referred directly by their GP, or practice nurses and administration staff can help them complete the online referral by scanning the QR Code while waiting for appointments. The My Health 4 Life referral template is also available on Medical Director and Best Practice software. Program coaches provide regular progress reports to referring practices, helping complete the care cycle.

Learn more and register your patients now: bit.ly/42ceDqV.

 

Reminder to rural generalists and primary care doctors with advanced skills to apply for the Workforce Incentives Program (WIP) – Rural Advanced Skills

You can apply for WIP-Rural Advanced Skills payments up to three times between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2025, with a deadline of 30 March 2026 for services provided since 1 January 2023.

Doctors providing primary care and emergency and/or advanced skills in Modified Monash (MM) 3-7 locations can claim up to $21,000 each year.

If you received a WIP-Rural Advanced Skill payment for services provided in 2023, you may apply again for a second payment for services provided in 2024. You can apply as soon as you’ve completed the service levels required for the maximum payment in the 12-month period.

For more information on eligibility, please refer to the WIP – Rural Advanced Skills Guidelines on the Department of Health and Aged Care’s website.

For details on Australian Government-funded incentives and supports available to doctors practicing in MM3-7 locations, please refer to the relevant Fact Sheets on Incentives and support for GPs and general practices in Modified Monash locations 1-7.

 

Covid vaccination provider update

From January 2025, the process for a general practice to become a COVID-19 vaccination provider has changed.

The Department of Health and Aged Care is transitioning all COVID-19 activities to align with the Australian Government-funded vaccine programs. This change will move the COVID-19 Primary Care Onboarding process to the Vaccine Operations Centre within the National Immunisation Division.

Country to Coast, QLD will continue to support practices through this change and will assist by sharing your initial details to the Vaccine Operations Centre for onboarding. Moving forward, the Vaccine Operations Centre will liaise directly with practices to collect any extra information and provide details once onboarded.

For any questions, please contact your Primary Health Coordinator via pracsupport@c2coast.org.au.

 

Deprescribing Antidepressants

Join the conversation at this upcoming webinar, on Tuesday, March 18, 2025 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM with Dr Mark Horowitz and Professor Katharine Wallis.

Register now to learn more about the overuse of psychiatric medications has become a growing concern for key healthcare and regulatory bodies. Deprescribing is a positive, patient-centred intervention carried out under medical supervision. It involves reassessing the role of all medicines to determine if any should be stopped – whether they no longer provide clear benefits, may cause harm, are being used for a condition that is no longer relevant or no longer align with the patient’s current goals of care.