Payment and Incentives
TOPIC: Payments and Incentives
Q1. Will nurses be reimbursed for completing training?
No. Nurses will not be reimbursed for completing training.
Q2. Is there reimbursement available for the time the nurses are undertaking the facilitation visits?
No.
Q3. How will practices be reimbursed for participation?
Reimbursement for practices includes the following:
All practices will receive a total payment of $1000 for participation ($600 in the first year and $400 in the second year). This will cover administrative costs of participation in the study. This is paid regardless of allocation.
GP consultations as part of the intervention can be claimed through Medicare because they will be for usual care as defined under the MBS. Intervention practices will be reimbursed by the project for conducting the practice nurse health checks at a rate of $40 per patient at baseline and $20 per patient for follow-up (6 weeks).
Patients will not be charged for their visits to the practice nurse or GP.
Q4. What is required to receive payment?
Practices will need to provide a tax invoice and adequately complete project tasks (determined through documentation) to receive payment. Each practice will need to be either a current ‘vendor’ with the University of NSW or complete an on-line vendor application. Details regarding this process will be communicated once we know which practices are allocated to the intervention.
The timing for payments has not been stipulated but it is advised that practices invoice UNSW for multiple visits as opposed to individual visits (at the completion of the project or at designated timepoints e.g completion of health check; completion of follow up etc). Practices will need to clearly document which visits (e.g. Health Check or follow-up) the invoice is for, and the number of patients etc.
Q5. Can PNs claim Item 10997 for doing the health check?
Practice nurse Item no 10997 is payable to a practice nurse who provides a service to patients on a GP Management Plan, Team Care Arrangement or Multidisciplinary Care Plan. While some of these patients may also be eligible for the HeLP GP study, this item number does not directly cover the health check.
PNs may do the health check in conjunction with visits that are charged under 10997 if this is more convenient to the nurse or the patient. Additional payment for the health checks will be provided (see Q2 above).
Q6. Will patients receive any incentives?
Patients in the intervention group will receive free access to my snapp lifestyle app for 6 months and an opportunity to have 10 free sessions with a telephone coach from the Get Healthy Service.
Patients from both groups who complete all interviews in year 1- (baseline, 6 months and 12 months) will receive a $30 shopping voucher. Patients who complete a follow up interview in year 2 (18 months) will receive an additional $30 shopping voucher.
