Step by Step Guide to Care Plans

Step 1 : Some Ideas to Make life easier
  • Get a practice nurse involved in your practice
  • Call the Division who can provide training to your team on EPCs
  • Download the template forms you need from here and Read Instructions
  • Upload templates into Medical director then create a few different versions for different chronic conditions (diabetes, CVD etc) to save lots of time in the long run.
  • Identify your key service providers for referral and enter thier details into the address book (eg Movement Medicine, Exercise Physiologist, Name)

Step 2: Understand the Items

  • The purpose of the Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) items is to provide your practice with the resources to effectively manage patients with chronic disease
  • Patients must have a chronic (or terminal) medical condition that has been, or is likely to be, present for more than 6 months.
  • There are 2 main components, the GP Management Plan (GPMP) Item 721 and the Team Care Arrangements (TCA) Item 723
  • GPMP Item 721 attracts a rebate of $122.40 (annually), TCA Item $96.90 (annually).
  • The GPMP can be reviewed no more than every 3 months using the Review of GPMP Item 725 $61.20
  • Patients are then eligible to receive up to a total of 5 individual allied health medicare rebates per calander year
  • People with type 2 diabetes can receive an additional 1 Group Assessment and 8 hours of group diabetes services with an Accredited Exercise Physiologist (AEP), Accredited Practicing Dietitian (APD) or Credentialed Diabetes Educator (CDE). Click for more info on group type 2 diabetes services.

Step 3 : Complete the GPMP and TCA

  • If you use Medical Director the templates available on this site will populate most of the required information directly into the forms, saving lots of time.
  • If you also create disease-specific templates, most of the key goals, actions and service providers can also be entered. Only small adjustments may be required now.
  • There must be at least 2 other providers identified in the TCA, ie Exercise Physiologist and Pharmacist, or Dietitian and Cardiologist, or Physio and Podiatrist etc.
  • If you do not use templates, or a computer generated referrals, download the printable templates from this site which will make the referral process much easier.

Step 4 : Refer

  • Complete the Allied Health Referral Form. Download MD Version or Print Version
  • Identify the number of allied health services to be provided on the form (up to 5). For eg. 3 for Exercise Physiologist and 2 for Dietitian OR 5 to the Exercise Physiologist only.
  • If the patient has Type 2 Diabetes, consider completing the Allied Health Referral Form for Group Services (MD Version / Print Version) and refer to a group program in your area (where available) for an assessment with an AEP, APD or CDE or 'The Practice' where they work.

You've done it! Well Done.

Now if you want to further streamline your care plans, generate more income and improve your patient outcomes contact our staff who can come to your practice and show you how.

Click here to contact us