Return to sender (RTS) mail for Incentive Programs 012-10010130

• Launch Work Optimiser - Medicare desktop
• Select ‘Ready’
• Open the work item.
• Identify the work type:
• Practice Incentives Program (PIP), go to Step 2
• Workforce Incentives Program (WIP) - Practice Stream, go to Step 2
• GP Aged Care Access Incentive (GPACAI), see Table 2

Log on to these systems:

• PIP Online, or
• WIP - Practice Stream Online

Search for the practice in PIP or WIP - Practice Stream Online.

On the Practice Search screen:

• key the Practice ID
• select Search
• the Search Results will show
• if the practice is listed, select the Practice ID hyperlink. The Practice Summary screen will show
• if no Search Results show, the practice ID is incorrect. Go to Step 4

Check if the practice name and address on the practice profile match the details on the RTS mail.

If the details match, go to Step 6

If the details do not match, check the company or trading name:

• Select Practice Details from the Main menu
• Select Ownership Details from the drop down
• The Ownership Details screen will show

Do these details match the details on the RTS mail?

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No, go to Step 7

If the practice ID is not correct, search for the correct practice

On the Practice Search screen:

• In Locality, key the suburb/town from the correspondence address
• In Postcode Range, key the address postcode
• Select Search
• Search results will show
• Check the practice name and full practice address against the search results

Is there a match to the practice details in the search results list?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No,
• add a processing note to PaNDA: 'The practice ID is not valid. The correct practice ID could not be located. No further action taken'
• Complete the work item in PaNDA
• Procedure ends here

If a matching practice name and address are listed in the search results:

• Select the Practice ID
• The Practice Summary screen will show
• Select Practice Details from the Main menu
• Select Contact Details
• The Contact Details screen will show

Check if the RTS mail is addressed to a listed authorised contact person (ACP).

If the details match, go to Step 6.

If the addressee is not a current ACP, check the current owner’s names:

• Select Practice details from the Main menu
• Select Ownership details
• the Ownership Details screen will show

Check if the RTS mail is addressed to a practice owner.

If the details match, go to Step 6.

If the addressee is not a current ACP or practice owner, check the Associated Documents for changes to the practice ownership and/or ACPs since the date on the RTS mail.

Was the RTS mail addressed to a previous practice owner or ACP?

• Yes, and the RTS mail is
• A PIP Annual Confirmation statement, go to Step 8
• A WIP - Practice Stream Quarterly Confirmation statement, go to Step 9
• Other PIP or WIP - Practice Stream correspondence, go to Step 10
• No, add the following processing note to PaNDA: ‘The practice ID is not valid and the correct practice ID could not be located. No further action taken.’ Complete the work item in PaNDA. Procedure ends here

Does the postal address on the Practice Summary screen match the postal address on the RTS mail?

• Yes, and the RTS mail is
• PIP Annual Confirmation Statement (ACS), go to Step 8
• WIP - Practice Stream Quarterly Confirmation Statement (QCS), go to Step 9
• All other PIP or WIP - Practice Stream correspondence, go to Step 10
• No, go to Step 7

Search for the associated documents for notification of a new practice and/or postal address.

Practices can notify of a new practice and/or postal address using:

• Practice Incentives Change of practice details (IP005) form
• Practice Incentives Change of practice ownership (IP010) form
• general correspondence

Has the practice notified a new practice and/or postal address or change of ownership since the date on the RTS mail?

• Yes, and the RTS mail is
• A PIP Annual Confirmation statement, go to Step 8
• A WIP - Practice Stream Quarterly Confirmation statement, go to Step 9
• Other PIP or WIP - Practice Stream correspondence, go to Step 10
• No, go to Step 10

See also Associated documents and comments for PIP and WIP - Practice Stream.

Go to the Confirmation Statement screen in PIP Online and check the Current Details

Is the status showing as ‘confirmed’?

• Yes,
• Add processing note in PaNDA noting the ACS is already confirmed
• Add a comment in PIP Online noting the return mail
• Go to Step 10
• N o, go to Step 10

Go to the Quarterly Confirmation Statement screen in WIP - Practice Stream Online and check the Current Details

Is the status showing as confirmed?

• Yes,
• Add processing note in PaNDA noting the QCS is already confirmed
• Add a comment in WIP - Practice Stream Online noting the return mail
• Investigate the address and reason for return mail, go to Step 10
• No, go to Step 10

Contact the practice to confirm the below details as appropriate. Go to Contact details in PIP and/or WIP - Practice Stream online to locate the practice phone number and authorised contact person/s.

A security check must be performed before requesting or providing practice information .Check if:

• the postal address is correct
• If not, ask the practice to update their postal address via HPOS, letter or email
• the contact on the RTS mail is currently working at the practice
• If not, ask the practice to update the authorised contact person via Health Professional Online Services (HPOS) or the Practice Incentives Change of practice details (IP005) form
• Notification must come from an owner of the practice
• the practice address is correct
• If the practice is relocating or amalgamating, ask the practice to submit a Practice Incentives Change of practice details (IP005) form
• Make sure payments are on hold
• If the practice address has changed due to council rezoning or a shopping complex being re-numbered, ask the practice to submit written correspondence with a supporting letter from the council/shopping complex. Correspondence must be signed by a practice owner registered on the profile. See Practice relocation for PIP and WIP - Practice Stream for more information about address updates
• the practice is still open
• If not, ask the practice to submit a Practice Incentives Practice closure or withdrawal (IP007) form
• Make sure payments are on hold
• If the practice is PIP consenting for WIP - Practice stream, make sure WIP payments are also on hold
• For recorded messages advising closure, send an IP007 to the owner/s if a forwarding address is provided. If no forwarding address is noted in the message, use the practice address. Payments must be placed on hold
• the ownership of the practice is correct
• If not, ask the practice to submit a Practice Incentives Change of ownership (IP010) form
• If the practice has undergone a full change of ownership, make sure payments are on hold

Do not update the practice profile unless the required forms or documentation have been provided.

If the practice is verbally told to provide a specific form or other documentation, this must be followed up with a letter.

When speaking to the authorised contact person or owner, check if the practice’s preferred communication method is online or paper. Go to:

• PIP Online > Practice Details > Contact Details > Update Online Subscriptions
• WIP - Practice Stream Online > Practice Details > Contact Details > Update Online Subscriptions

If ‘receive printed copy by mail’ is selected, discuss changing the communication preference to online (HPOS). Explain the advantages of instant and guaranteed receipt of communication.

If the practice is interested, assist them with using HPOS to update their communication preference.

Note: at least one practice owner or authorised contact person must have their RA number linked to the practice profile to access online communication. See Online Services for Practice Incentives Program (PIP) and Workforce Incentive Program (WIP) - Practice Stream.

Select Practice staff system access from the main menu to confirm the linked RA numbers.

Make at least 2 genuine contact attempts over 3 working days.

Note: the PaNDA work item should be ‘Pended - Department of Health’ during this follow up attempt.

After each call attempt, add a processing note with the date, time and outcome of the call

If the details on PIP and/or WIP-Practice Stream Online are no longer valid, search for different phone number via an internet search.

If contact with the practice is:

• successful, go to Step 13
• unsuccessful, add a comment to the practice profile noting the unsuccessful contact attempts. Go to Step 13

Check if the RTS mail relates to one of the following:

• Relocation
• Amalgamation
• Change of practice Ownership
• Practice closure
• WIP - Practice Stream Quarterly Confirmation Statement
• PIP Annual Confirmation Statement
• Payment Summaries

Does the RTS mail relate to one of the above?

• Yes, place the PIP and/or WIP - Practice Stream payments on hold then go to Step 14
• No, go to Step 14

Note: if contact is unsuccessful, and the practice status can not be determined, payments must be placed on hold. This regardless of the RTS mail type.

See also Payments for PIP and WIP - Practice Stream.

Add a comment to the practice profile.

If contact was successful, include the:

• RTS mail type
• Reason why the mail was returned to sender
• New mail details, including:
• The authorised contact person, and
• Practice address or postal address
• Any details discussed with the practice
• Date and time of the call, and phone number used if different to the number on the profile

If contact was unsuccessful, include the:

• RTS mail type
• Reason why the mail was returned to sender
• Details of the contact attempts (date and time of calls, phone number used)
• Any other relevant information

Note: if the practice verbally advises changes to the practice profile, send a follow up letter requesting the forms.

See also: Associated documents and comments for PIP and WIP - Practice Stream

Check the practice’s preferred communication method.

If posting:

• retrieve original RTS mail from the Mail Compactus
• complete the Return to sender cover page on the Resources page with the new practice address or postal address
• re-address to the secondary contact, practice owner/s or 'The Practice Manager' if needed
• attach the RTS to the Return to sender cover page
• post the documents to the practice in a new envelope

If online communication is selected:

• return the document to the practice via HPOS mail centre. See Sending letters via HPOS Mail Centre for PIP and WIP - Practice Stream

Do not use HPOS if

• the RTS mail or subsequent practice communication indicates a practice closure
• there is no longer an owner or ACP with online access registered on the practice profile. Correspondence must be resent via post
• the correspondence relates to a change of practice ownership

Add any relevant processing notes to the PaNDA work item.

If the RTS mail could not be redirected, this must be stated in a PaNDA processing note.

Complete the work item in PaNDA.

Open work item in PaNDA.

Assess the RTS mail type.

Is the work item a GP ACAI work item?

• Yes, and it is a:
• banking details form, go to Step 2
• letter requesting banking details, go to Step 2
• GP ACAI payment advice, go to Step 3
• No, see Table 1

The GP ACAI ceased 31 July 2024. GP ACAI banking details forms (IP011) are no longer accepted for update after 9 May 2025.

Note: Program management made multiple attempts to contact providers with outstanding payments after the August 2024 calculation. The Resources page > Table 1 has the communication timeline.

• Add the following processing note to the PaNDA item - ‘GP ACAI has ceased. Bank details no longer accepted for update’
• Check the provider number or practitioner name is recorded in the Practice ID field
• Complete the work item in PaNDA

Procedure ends here.

Check that the address on the letter/form match the provider details in the Provider Directory System (PDS).

Log on to the PDS.

Search for the practitioner:

• Select Provider from the Provider Directories menu
• Select View from the drop down
• Key Provider stem (first 6 digits)
• Select Search

Does the address on the letter match the preferred mailing address for the provider on PDS?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, re-send the RTS mail to the preferred mailing address, go to Step 8

Contact the provider via phone using their preferred telephone number on the Provider View page.

Attempt contact options in the order of:

• mobile number in PDS contact details
• landline in PDS contact details
• contact number linked to the provider location

Make at least 2 contact attempts over 7 working days. A security check must be performed before discussing the RTS mail.

Note: the PaNDA work items should be ‘Pended - Department of Health’ during this follow up attempt.

If contact with the provider is:

• successful, go to Step 5
• unsuccessful, go to Step 6

Provide the following information to the practitioner:

• advise Services Australia has returned mail
• confirm the address to redirect the payment advice
• suggest they update their preferred mailing address via HPOS
• redirect the payment advice the address provided by the provider, go to Step 7

If contact was unsuccessful:

• add a processing note to the work item in PaNDA confirming contact attempts. The processing note must include the date and time of the call attempts and the phone number used
• complete work item in PaNDA
• go to Step 7

Note: do not re-send RTS ACAI banking details forms for more information. The banking details form must be rejected (Step 3).

• Retrieve original RTS mail from the Mail Compactus
• Complete the Return To Sender cover page on the Resources page with the new provider address
• Attach the RTS mail to the Return To Sender cover page
• Post the documents to the practice in a new envelope
• Add a processing note confirming the action taken
• Complete work item in PaNDA
• Procedure ends here