Financial incentives for medical practitioners to work in rural and remote areas of Australia

Overview

The Workforce Incentive Program (WIP) Doctor Stream makes direct payments to doctors who deliver eligible services in eligible locations.

It uses 2 systems to assess and pay these financial incentives:

• Central Payment System (CPS) – for doctors who bill the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) for eligible services.
• Flexible Payment System (FPS) – for doctors who provide eligible services and/or undertake training that is not reflected in the MBS.

Some doctors may provide services under both payment systems.

Payments are based on

• activity levels within eligible locations
• how long a doctor has been part of the program
• a doctor's vocational registration status (starting from 1 January 2024).

Check if you can apply

To be eligible, medical practitioners must:

• provide a minimum amount of eligible primary care services in eligible locations and/or undertake eligible general practice (GP) training under an approved training pathway
• meet the required number of active quarters for payment
• have an eligible current Medicare provider number
• have provided your current bank account details in the required timeframe.