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About the program
The Workforce Incentive Program (WIP) Practice Stream began on 1 February 2020. It was part of the Stronger Rural Health Strategy. You can read about the strategy on the Department of Health and Aged Care website.
The WIP Practice Stream aims to build a sustainable and high quality health workforce, particularly in rural and remote areas.
The WIP Practice Stream includes the following incentives:
- quarterly incentive payments to engage eligible health professionals
- a rural loading of up to 60%.
- an annual loading for practices providing general practitioner services to Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) Gold Card holders.
The amount a practice gets depends on the:
- practice size
- type of eligible health professionals
- average hours eligible health professionals work each week
- type of practice and its location.
We administer the WIP - Practice Stream on behalf of the Department of Health and Aged Care.
You can contact us to find out more.
Guidelines
The guidelines on the Department of Health website set out how the WIP - Practice Stream operates including:
- accreditation requirements
- eligibility requirements
- eligible health professionals
- ineligible services and activities
- practice obligations
- payments
- calculating payments.
Applying
To apply for the WIP - Practice Stream, you need a Provider Digital Access (PRODA) account to access Health Professional Online Services (HPOS).
If you don’t have one, register for a PRODA account and link your HPOS service.
Read about applying for the WIP - Practice Stream through HPOS.
If you can’t apply through HPOS, complete the Practice Incentives Application form and fax it to us. Remember to include your supporting documents.
Managing your practice details online
The WIP - Practice Stream Online allows practices to apply and update information online using HPOS.
You can:
- Apply for the WIP - Practice Stream
- Action Quarterly Confirmation Statements
- Update practice details
- Advise of changes to practice arrangements
- Get notifications.
To access the WIP - Practice Stream Online, you need your RA number linked to your practice’s HPOS profile.
If you are an owner or primary authorised contact person, you can access payment advices and statements through HPOS messages - organisations mailbox. To do this, you must update your PIP and/or WIP - Practice Stream online subscriptions to ‘Access Online’.
Read about:
Benefits of linking your PIP and WIP - Practice Stream
If your practice also participates in the Practice Incentives Program (PIP) you can become a PIP consenting practice.
This means your practice ID numbers will be identical and you’ll only need to make updates to your PIP profile. You won’t need to make the same updates to your WIP - Practice Stream profile.
Read about linking your PIP and WIP Practice Stream practice details.
Forms
- Practice Incentives application form (IP001)
- Practice Incentives - Individual general practitioner, nurse practitioner or health professional details form (IP003)
- Practice Incentives - Change of practice details form (IP005)
- Practice Incentives - Practice closure or withdrawal form (IP007)
- Practice Incentives - Practice ownership details and declaration form (IP008)
- Practice Incentives Change of practice ownership form (IP010)
- Practice Incentives Additional practice branch form (IP025)
- Practice Incentives - Review of decision form (IP027).
Incentives News Update
Read the Incentives News Update (INU) to keep up to date with changes.