Incentive Schemes Woo Doctors

Districts of Workforce Shortage (DWS) … the green areas are considered DWS so it is likely that an application for an exemption for an overseas trained doctor to access the Medicare Benefits Scheme would be favourably considered; the brown areas are not considered to be within a District of Workforce Shortage (Map: DoctorConnect)

March 18, 2015

by Anne Miller

A new Federal Government scheme designed to woo foreign GPs to rural communities has split the South Burnett – but in almost the exact opposite way as an existing cash incentive scheme.

Areas considered in need of assistance include Kingaroy, Yarraman, Goomeri and Kilkivan; while Nanango, Wondai, Murgon, Cherbourg and Blackbutt are considered to be outside the defined “Districts of Workforce Shortage” (DWS).

Communities identified as being a DWS can recruit doctors who would not normally be able to bill Medicare for their services.

This incentive particularly targets overseas-trained doctors, foreign graduates of Australian medical schools and Australian-trained “bonded” doctors.

“When an area is classified as a DWS it is more attractive for doctors, particularly overseas doctors, who would otherwise have a Medicare billing restriction applied to their practice for up to 10 years,” Member for Wide Bay and Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss said.

Mr Truss said the DWS mapping system had used updated statistical information to identify regional communities where it was more difficult to access Medicare-subsidised services.

The same Federal Government “DoctorConnect” website also maps “Remoteness Areas” (RA) which attract various incentives for health professionals.

These incentives also split the region – with doctors in some parts eligible to receive a $15,000 relocation grant, while others just down the road may be eligible for $30,000.

Many of the towns that are favoured in the DWS system are shunned in the RA system, and vice versa.

Parts of the region are classified as ASCG-RA2 (Inner Regional), including Nanango and Kingaroy (and a small area around Yarraman), which receive fewer benefits.

The rest of the South Burnett – including Blackbutt, Wondai, Murgon, Cherbourg, Goomeri and Kilkivan – are classified as ASCG-RA3 (Outer Regional) which receive more assistance.

As well as the relocation grants, doctors in the different localities may be eligible for retention grants.

In Blackbutt, a doctor who stayed for six months could be eligible to receive $4000; while in Yarraman, the same doctor would receive nothing.

If they stayed three years, the gap grows: $7500 in Yarraman and $13,000 in Blackbutt.

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