Five Year Overseas Trained Doctors Recruitment Scheme

Background

In 1996, Medicare provider number restrictions were introduced under section 19AB of the Health Insurance Act 1973 (the Act) as a measure to fill gaps in the private medical practitioner workforce. The legislation achieves this by restricting Overseas Trained Doctors (OTDs) or International Medical Graduates (IMGs) from accessing Medicare benefits unless they commit to working in areas that are considered to be Districts of Workforce Shortage. These restrictions last for 10 years from date of first medical board registration in Australia and are commonly referred to as the Ten Year Moratorium. A number of programs have been established that utilise the Medicare provider number restriction including the Five Year OTD Recruitment Scheme is one such program.

The Five Year OTD Recruitment Scheme commenced in 1999 at a time of growing awareness of the need for more general practitioners in rural and remote areas of Australia. During that year, the Australian Government offered to help States and Territories develop new initiatives designed to attract suitably qualified IMGs to commit to working for a five year period in a District of Workforce Shortage.

Principles & Objectives

The main objectives of the Five Year OTD Scheme are:

To provide incentives to attract appropriately qualified and experienced International Medical Graduates to overcome the current and future community needs for general practice medical services in rural and remote Australia;
To increase the supply of appropriately qualified IMGs in rural and remote Australia;
To enhance the professional development, skills and knowledge of IMGs in Australia; and
To bring a degree of stability to the provision of general practitioner services in rural and remote communities.

Australian Government Incentives

The Australian Government acknowledges the need to offer incentives to attract doctors with the appropriate qualifications and experience to work in areas of greatest need. The Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) has helped to facilitate the development of recruitment initiatives that are nationally consistent as follows:

Streamlined immigration procedures. The Department of Immigration and Citizenship works with DoHA to ensure that participating doctors are granted permanent residency as soon as practicable after obtaining the FRACGP or FACRRM providing all other immigration requirements are met.
A reduction in the ten year moratorium on provider number restrictions under section 19AB of the Act. The Delegate to the Minister for Health and Ageing will grant an exemption without geographical restrictions to participating medical practitioners who have satisfied the following requirements of the Five Year OTD Scheme:

completed the required term of service in a location deemed eligible for the Five Year OTD Scheme;
attained FRACGP or FACRRM; and
attained permanent residency and/or Australian Citizenship.

Eligibility criteria for International Medical Graduates

The Five Year OTD Scheme applies to IMGs who are restricted under section 19AB of the Health Insurance Act in accessing the Medicare benefits arrangements. IMGs wishing to participate in the Scheme must meet the following criteria:

Appropriate registration with Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA);
Provide evidence they are eligible to be assessed for FRACGP or FACRRM within two years of commencing on the Scheme or be a recognised Fellow;
Intend to seek or currently possess permanent residency and/or Australian Citizenship; and
Will be providing at least 7 sessions a week as part of their placement;

For the purposes of this application a general practice consulting session is regarded as an average 3.5 hour period

All applicants for the Five Year OTD Scheme are required to provide information that will enable assessment of the International Medical Graduates’ eligibility to participate in the Scheme.

Eligibility Criteria for the Five Year OTD Scheme Locations / Medical Practices

Locations/medical practices must meet the following criteria to be eligible for the services of an OTD participating in the Five year OTD Scheme:

Require at least 7 sessions per week as part of the placement; and
The location/medical practice is within a Rural, Remote and Metropolitan Area (RRMA) classification 4–7 and the location/medical practice is considered to be a district of workforce shortage.
For Aboriginal Medical Services funded by the Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH), the location/medical practice must be within RRMA 3 – 7 areas.

Categories for Five Year Overseas Trained Doctors Recruitment Scheme locations

A system of graded incentives or concessions has been established to categorise locations/positions according to their level of difficulty. The system reduces the IMG’s contract period before being given an unrestricted provider number by up to two years, provided he or she meets all other program requirements including Fellowship and Permanent Residency.

The length of placement on the Five Year OTD Scheme is reduced where a participant is located in a concessional location. The time reduction will mean that one year served in the location will count as either one and a half or two years within the Scheme, depending on the category agreed by the Department of Health and Ageing and Department of Health, Western Australia. The maximum reduction in the contract period is two years. The time concession is available only after 12 months have first been served in a Category A or B location and thereafter will accrue at six-monthly intervals following agreement with Rural Health West.

There are three categories applicable to Five Year OTD Scheme locations. The categories will determine the amount of time concession an IMG can earn under the Five Year OTD Scheme.

Category A – Exceptionally difficult for General Practitioner recruitment and retention
Category B – Very difficult for General Practitioner recruitment and retention
Category C – Difficult for General Practitioner retention and recruitment

For the full list of current eligible locations in Western Australia and their Graded Incentive Category please click here.

For further information regarding the Five Year Overseas Trained Doctors Scheme email Rural Health West or
phone +61 8 6389 4500

These programs are funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing. Conditions are subject to continued funding and arrangements are subject to change without notice.

Last updated September 2011

Print Page