Rural Relocation Incentive Grant FAQs

The RRIG Component of the General Practice Rural Incentives Program (GPRIP) aims to increase the number of medical practitioners (general practitioners and specialists) working in rural and remote areas of Australia.

The RRIG provides grants to encourage medical practitioners to relocate to these areas.

The ASGC-RA index was developed in 2001 by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. ASGC-RA is the most up to date classification system as it contains the most recent (2006) census data.

More info on ASGC-RA

Grants are calculated according to the location which the medical practitioner relocates from and to, as well as their clinical workload (of eligible services) following relocation. The table below identifies the maximum payments available to medical practitioners after relocation.

FROM	TO
RA Location	RA2 (Inner Regional)	RA3 (Outer Regional)	RA4 (Remote)	RA5 (Very Remote)
RA1 (Major Cities)	$15,000 ($7,500 p/a)	$30,000 ($15,000 p/a)	$60,000 ($30,000 p/a)	$120,000 ($60,000 p/a)
RA2 (Inner Regional)	-	$15,000 ($7,500 p/a)	$30,000 ($15,000 p/a)	$60,000 ($30,000 p/a)
RA3 (Outer Regional)	-	-	$15,000 ($7,500 p/a)	$30,000 ($15,000 p/a)
RA4 (Remote)	-	-	-	$15,000 ($7,500 p/a)

Get an application form (PDF 91 KB) or you can apply through the Department of Human Services (DHS)’s Health Professional Online Services (HPOS).

Medical practitioners must apply within 90 days prior to their nominated relocation date.

No. All applications must be approved prior to relocation for a medical practitioner to be eligible for the grant.

Approved applicants must relocate within 90 days of their approved relocation date.

Applicants nominate which quarter DHS is to begin to assess activity. The applicant may nominate assessment of activity from the beginning of the next full quarter.

For example, if an approved applicant relocates on 25 February, they may nominate the March quarter or the June quarter for commencement of activity.

The grant is paid in two instalments following relocation. The first payment is paid on completion of 4 active quarters and the second payment is paid on completion of 8 active quarters.

Payments are based on the location a medical practitioner relocates from and to and clinical workload (as determined by eligible services) over the 4 active quarters preceding payment. They are calculated in three steps:

Step 1	Calculate the medicalpractitioner’s Major Eligible Category for each active quarter and theMaximum Annual Payment Rate
Step 2	Calculate the medicalpractitioner’s Activity Level Percentage
Step 3	Multiply the Maximum AnnualPayment Rate by the Activity Level Percentage this equals the Payment Amount

Quarters under the RRIG are identified as:

Quarters	Months
March quarter	January, February, March
June quarter	April, May, June
September quarter	July, August, September
December quarter	October, November, December

An active quarter is one where the value of eligible Medicare billing provided in eligible locations meets the active quarter threshold of $4,000.

Yes. Following relocation, all activities in ASGC-RA categories more remote than the ASGC-RA from which the medical practitioner relocated will be taken into consideration in the calculation of payments.

Leave of up to 4 quarters in any 8 quarters is permitted without a participant’s eligibility being affected. However, leave can be approved by the relevant RWA for up to 18 months for up skilling and secondary training, or 24 months for maternity leave.

Unless extenuating circumstances exist, leave in excess of 2 years results in a doctor becoming ineligible for grant payments.

The relocation grant is available to medical practitioners once only. However, if a medical practitioner is approved for the relocation grant, but withdraws or loses eligibility prior to receiving any money they may apply again at a later date.

If you’ve provided services in one RA category only over the past 12 months:
Check your RA category

If you’ve provided services in more than one RA category over the past 12 months:

• the location identified as the RA category from which the medical practitioner is relocating is the RA category in which they’ve provided the majority of services over the previous 12 months
• where a medical practitioner provides equal value of services in two different RA categories, the least remote is considered the ‘from’ location.

Check the RA category of the practice

• To qualify for the grant medical practitioners cannot relocate to a location within the same RA category in which they’ve provided services over the past 12 months. They must relocate to a more remote RA category in order to be eligible (unless approved by the Department of Health and Ageing – the Department).
• Medical practitioners who’ve provided locum services (in the past 12 months) for up to 20 days (they don’t have to be consecutive) in the same ASGC – RA category, or higher, to which they apply to relocate, and who meet all other eligibility criteria, may be deemed eligible for the RRIG under the FPS.

Yes. To maintain eligibility under RRIG, medical practitioners must meet the continuous service requirements. These requirements are 4 active quarters in every 8 quarters.

The 2 year period (8 active quarters) commences from the time the first services are processed in the quarter nominated by the applicant (ie the quarter in which they apply to relocate or the quarter after).

Yes. Medical practitioners who are declined for the RRIG are eligible to have their application reviewed by the Department. The Department may refer the case to the GPRIP Advisory Body. Requests for review can be sent directly to the Department of Health and Ageing or via the Department of Human Services (DHS). Please note, the Advisory Body meets quarterly, hence any request for review by the group will be subject to these timelines.

The Department has discretion to accept or reject the Advisory Body’s recommendations and has the final say with regards to the outcome of the review.

For more information or help on GPRIP: RRIG:

• call DHS on 1800 010 550
• email the Department of Health and Ageing at GPRIP@health.gov.au
• or contact the relevant Rural Workforce Agency:
  • Northern Territory - General Practice Network Northern Territory (08) 8982 1000
  • South Australia – Rural Doctors Workforce Agency South Australia (08) 8234 8277
  • Western Australia – Rural Health West (08) 6389 4500
  • Tasmania – Health Recruitment Plus Tasmania (03) 6334 2355
  • New South Wales - New South Wales Rural Doctors Network (02) 4924 8000
  • Queensland – Health Workforce Queensland (07) 3105 7800
  • Victoria – Rural Workforce Agency Victoria (03) 9349 7800