Cost Cost of health services can affect the access of many people to health services. The following programs have been introduced to help address these issues: •
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Practice Incentive Program- Indigenous Health Incentive: Provides financial incentive support to General Practice to provide comprehensive chronic condition care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Closing the Gap Co-payment: Provides financial support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to access medication. Medical Outreach- Indigenous Chronic Disease Program (RDWA): Provision of health services in remote locations significantly reduces client cost in accessing specialist care where travel and time off work is required. Integrated Team Care: Provides support to clients via Supplementary Services funding, which provides conditional gap funding for consults with Specialist and Allied Health Providers, select medical aids and for transport and accommodation where health services are not available locally.
The Medicare Benefits Schedule also has Aboriginal specific items to address access issues. This is separate to the IAHP. These items include: • • •
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The 715 Preventative Health Assessment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; Specific follow-up items for Practice Nurses, Aboriginal Health Practitioners and Aboriginal Health Workers; Specific follow-up items for Allied Health services that can be provided in addition to those allied health services available to eligible patients with chronic disease under MBS items 1095010970. Items for preventing the onset of, investigating the risk of or monitoring the progression of chronic disease in a patient. For instance, facilitating diagnosis and monitoring of diabetes as a part of the Quality Assurance in Aboriginal Medical Service (QAAM) Program items.
One initiative under the Stronger Rural Health Strategy, announced in the 2018-19 Budget, was the reform of MBS access for doctors. The aim of the reform was to reward investment in attaining general practice fellowship and encourage more doctors to work in regional, rural and remote areas of Australia. One part of this reform was to close the Other Medical Practitioner (OMP) programs to new participants on 1 January 2019. These programs were: • • • •
Medicare Plus for Other Medical Practitioners Program (MOMPs) Rural Other Medical Practitioners Program (ROMPs) After Hours Other Medical Practitioners Program (AHOMPs) Outer Metropolitan Other Medical Practitioners Program (OMOMPs)
The Stronger Rural Health Strategy also committed to providing extra funding to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Professional Organisations (ATSIHPOs). Over four years from 1 July 2018, $33.4 million is being provided to continue the role of four ATSIHPOs to support and develop an appropriately trained health workforce and improve service provision to Indigenous Australians. For further information, please click here.
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