The Workforce Incentive Program (WIP) has two streams. The Doctor Stream pays incentives directly to individual doctors working in eligible rural and remote locations. The Practice Stream is separate â it helps practices fund nursing and allied health positions, and is a practice-level administrative process, not something you claim as an individual doctor.
WIP replaced the General Practice Rural Incentives Program (GPRIP) from 1 January 2020.
You need to provide eligible primary care services in a location classified MM 3 to MM 7 under the Modified Monash Model. Check any address using the Health Workforce Locator.
Eligible services are primary care attendances billed under MBS Category 1 (professional attendances), or approved GP/Rural Generalist training under an approved pathway.
Doctor Stream payments scale with how rural your location is (more remote = higher payment) and how long you've been active in the program (payments step up by "Year Level" over time). Non-VR doctors on an approved training pathway receive full payments; non-VR doctors not on a training pathway receive a reduced share.
New participants don't start at the maximum payment immediately. Entry point depends on location:
If you work across multiple MM classifications in the same quarter, the calculation starts with the most rural category and works backwards â you get credited at the best rate your activity supports.
Central Payment System (CPS) â for MBS-billed services. Fully automatic. Payments are assessed from your MBS billing data with no application required. You just need current bank details registered with Services Australia via HPOS.
Flexible Payment System (FPS) â for non-MBS-billed services or approved training not reflected in MBS records. Requires an application. Activity is measured in "sessions" (minimum 3 hours), capped at 2 sessions/day and 104 sessions/quarter. If you've received a CPS payment, you have 6 months from the payment advice date to apply for a related top-up under FPS â after that window closes, you can't claim it.
Recognises GPs and Rural Generalists in MM 3-7 locations who provide services using advanced procedural or non-procedural skills. Two separate streams, each assessed independently:
Each stream pays up to $10,500 per 12-month period, so a doctor eligible for both streams can receive up to $21,000/year in addition to base Doctor Stream payments.
Leave: No WIP payment is made for any period of leave, under any circumstances.
Telehealth: Eligible telehealth services count toward WIP activity â but eligibility is based on where you are physically located when providing the service, not where the patient is.
Multiple locations: If you work across more than one MM classification in a quarter, the calculation prioritises the most rural category first, then works backwards through less-rural categories once the more-rural threshold is met.