Close the Gap

The Close the Gap program aims to reduce and then close the gap in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander life expectancy by encouraging greater use, and improved cultural safety, of mainstream primary care services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals and communities.

Chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, diabetes and cancer are some of the biggest killers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. The affect of these diseases can be greatly reduced through changes in lifestyle and healthier life choices.

Close the Gap's priority areas are to tackle chronic disease risk factors for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders such as smoking, poor nutrition and lack of exercise and to deliver community education initiatives to reduce the prevalence of these risk factors.

In the Eastern Metropolitan Region, the program will have a particular focus on building and strengthening partnerships and on identifying and addressing barriers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals and communities accessing quality health care and comprehensive chronic disease management locally.

Eastern Ranges GP Association's Close the Gap team will play a key role in supporting the introduction of a number of new Government initiatives to promote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander access to quality chronic disease management services, including the Indigenous Health Incentive PIP and PBS Co-payment Measure.

Indigenous Health Incentive PIP and PBS Co-payment Measure

The PIP Indigenous Health Incentive has three payments, which are summarised below:

Payment Type	Activity required for payment	Payment
Sign-on payment	One-off payment to practices that join the incentive and agree to undertake specified activities to improve the care provided to their Indigenous patients with a chronic disease. To claim the sign-on payment complete and submit an Indigenous Health Incentive Application Form. Sign-on payments are paid in the next available quarterly payment.	$1000 per practice
Patient registration payment	A payment to practices for each Indigenous patient aged 15 years and over, registered with the practice for chronic disease management for a 12 month period. To claim a patient registration payment complete and submit an Indigenous Health Incentive and PBS Co-payment Measure Patient Registration Form. Patient registration payments are paid in the next available quarterly payment.	$250 per eligible patient per calendar year
Outcomes payments	Tier 1: a payment to practices for each registered patient for whom a target level of care is provided by the practice in a 12 month period. Tier 1 payments are automatically assessed and paid in the quarter following the provision of the required services.	$100 per eligible patient per calendar year
Outcomes payments	Tier 2: payment to practices for providing the majority of patient care for each registered patient within a 12 month period. Tier 2 payments are automatically assessed and paid annually in February.	$150 per eligible patient per calendar year