Practitioners in Practice Incentives Program (PIP) and Workforce Incentive Program (WIP) – Practice Stream 012-10010060

Item

Category

1

Relocation and provider numbers

When a practice relocates, all practitioners must get a provider number for the new relocated address.

They may not get a new provider number if the practice physically moves to a new shop or suite within a building or centre. Instead, the address on the practitioner’s provider number may be updated:

• The practice must submit written documents detailing the reason for address update
• Program Management approve these requests after they are cleared by Provider Registration
• Medicare Provider Registration will determine whether to update the address rather or issue a new provider number

Do not refer the practice to Provider Registration to update the address of a provider number

2

Withdraw or transfer consent - Procedural General Practitioner (GP) Payment

A practice does not need to give permission for a practitioner to update their Procedural General Practitioner Payments details.

Practitioners can request the below in writing:

• withdraw from the Procedural GP Payment or
• transfer consent from another practice

They must include the below in their request:

• Details of the practice currently getting the payment and
• the practice name
• address, and
• the provider number
• A signature from the practitioner
• To withdraw, the practitioner must state that the payments to the practice must cease
• To transfer consent from another practice, the practitioner must include the below details:
• the practice where the payments will go to, and
• the provider number

3

Hospital locations – Procedural GP Payment

If a hospital procedural GP provider number is provided, accept the form if the location is listed on the practice profile.

If the hospital is not listed as an additional location, reject the form advising the provider number is not linked to the practice profile.

4

Professional indemnity insurance cover by State government

GPs working in practices run by a State or Territory department may have their professional indemnity covered by the State/Territory government. The GP may not have an individual professional indemnity policy

This is acceptable. Evidence of the coverage is not required.

5

Address variance

PIP/WIP – Practice Stream Online validates all practice addresses to match Australia Post’s data> This may result in variances between PIP Online and WIP – Practice Stream Online and a practice’s advised address.

PIP/WIP – Practice Stream Online may not accept ‘corner of’ or number range (for example, 1-3) addresses if the location is not registered in the Australia Post data.

Addressing rules for Medicare Provider Registration are slightly different to PIP/WIP – Practice Stream. This can result in an address variance.

If the provider address appears to be a variation of the PIP practice address, check the practice address online.

If an address check confirms the locations are the same, process the form.

Contact LPS for questions about an address variance.

Error code

Error text

Resolution

1134

The end date for provider number {0} ({1} {2}) cannot occur before today’s date. Provider must be current to be included for PIP or GPII.

• Remove the end date
• Select Save and Exit
• End date the practitioner

1136

Start date entered is not valid as the provider number {0} has already been assigned to a practice location for this date. Revise start date.

If the start date on the form is:

• Before the start date on the practice profile, escalate to Local Peer Support (LPS) to delete the practitioner
• After the start date on the practice profile, the practitioner is already registered. Check the rest of the practitioner details

2481

The start date occurs before the provider location start date recorded for provider number {0}. Re-enter a start date greater than or equal to the provider location start date of {1}.

• Delete the provider number
• Escalate to Local Peer Support (LPS) to delete the practitioner
• Re-add the provider number using the PDS start date

2485

The end date for provider number {0} cannot be accepted. Ensure the end date entered is greater than or equal to the Provider Location Association Start Date of {1} and Provider Location Start Date in the PDS of {2}, and less than or equal to the Provider Location End Date in the PDS of {3}.

• Check the provider number start date, or
• Check the provider number end date on either the:
• IP003 form, or
• IP005 form
• If the practitioner start date on the profile is before the PDS start date, escalate to LPS to delete the practitioner

Payment Quarter

Reference Period

Point in time date

February

1 July to 31 December (previous year)

31 January (current year)

August

1 January to 30 June (current year)

31 July (current year)