For those practices registered for the Practice Incentives Program eHealth Incentive (ePIP), this is a reminder about the Temporary Amendment of the Requirements for the PIP eHealth Incentive as circulated early October.
Instead of being required to meet a quota by the end of each quarter, the requirement was changed so that practices can have until 31 January 2017 to reach the quota for all three quarters. From February 2017 onwards, the requirement will revert to the ongoing quarterly deadline.
As an example, three scenarios for a hypothetical practice are shown in the table below. During each quarter, the practice calculates its quota. Remember that the quota depends on the current SWPE (the latest PIP statement states the current SWPE). By the time the third quarter starts, the practice knows that its total quota for the three quarters is 77.
This means that in order for the practice to qualify for the three ePIP quarterly payments, it needs to have uploaded 77 Shared Health Summaries by 31 January. If the practice uploads fewer SHS than is required by the quota in the first two quarters, but manages to make it up in the third quarter, it will receive the full payment.
In the scenarios below. Scenario A results in payment for all three quarters. In Scenarios B and C, not all quotas were met, so the practice only receives payment for the quarters in which they reached the quota.
Practices who opted out of the first quarter (commenced on 1/5/16) will not miss out. These practices and those who achieve the total accumulated for the first three quarters by 31 January 2017, you will need to contact the Department of Human Services by email to pip@humanservices.gov.au in order to receive the first quarter payment.
The Department of Human Services sent out a letter to all PIP registered practices to advise in more detail of the extension.