Changes to the Rural Locum Relief Program (RLRP) guidelines and eligibility criteria will come into effect on 1 January 2016.
The RLRP is a program that allows medical practitioners affected by provider number restrictions to attract Medicare benefits while providing medical services in rural and remote Australia or in an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service in a rural or metropolitan location.
The Australian Department of Health has delegated responsibility for administering the RLRP in Victoria to RWAV. Approvals for the RLRP are in accordance with the National RLRP guidelines, RWAV’s Criteria and the practice principal’s/representative’s acceptance of the placement conditions.
In 2013 the Commonwealth enforced a maximum time intended for a doctor to access Medicare benefits whilst working on the RLRP to four years during which time the doctor is expected to have met the proficiency standards of Fellowship of RACGP or ACRRM.
Taking the above into account RWAV has reviewed it’s eligibly criteria to ensure that doctors approved onto the RLRP program are in a position to achieve their Fellowship within the required four year timeframe.
