Why this matters for your practice
PIP is a significant, ongoing revenue source for most accredited practices, and almost all of it is conditional. Each incentive has its own eligibility rules, and the underlying requirement for the program as a whole is accreditation against the RACGP Standards. Lose accreditation and you lose the lot. Because most payments are scaled to your SWPE, the value also moves with your patient base.
Understanding PIP as a structured program, rather than a set of unrelated payments, helps a practice make sure it is claiming everything it qualifies for and not quietly failing a requirement.
The three streams and seven incentives
PIP is organised into three payment streams covering seven incentives:
- Quality Stream: the Quality Improvement Incentive (for ongoing quality improvement activity) and the eHealth Incentive (ePIP) for digital health capability.
- Capacity Stream: the After Hours Incentive, the Teaching Payment, and the Procedural GP Payment.
- Rural Support Stream: the Rural Loading and the Indigenous Health Incentive.
Some workforce-related payments that were historically associated with PIP now sit under the separate Workforce Incentive Program (WIP).
How eligibility works
- The practice must be accredited, or registered for accreditation, against the RACGP Standards.
- The practice must be registered in the PIP and have each relevant incentive added.
- Each incentive carries its own conditions (for example, the eHealth Incentive's five eHealth requirements, or the Quality Improvement Incentive's quality improvement activity).
- Payments are generally calculated using the practice's SWPE, often with a cap.
What Services Australia checks
- Current accreditation status.
- That the practice meets each claimed incentive's specific requirements every quarter.
- Accurate practice and provider details in the relevant registers.
Common mistakes
- Letting accreditation lapse, which ends every PIP payment at once.
- Not adding incentives the practice already qualifies for.
- Treating incentives as set-and-forget when each must be re-met each quarter.
- Ignoring SWPE movement, which changes both eligibility thresholds and payment value.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Practice Incentives Program?
The Practice Incentives Program (PIP) is a Services Australia scheme that pays accredited general practices for activities supporting quality, capacity, and rural access. It has seven incentives across three streams (Quality, Capacity, and Rural Support), with most payments scaled to a practice's SWPE.
What are the PIP streams?
PIP has three streams: the Quality Stream (Quality Improvement and eHealth incentives), the Capacity Stream (After Hours, Teaching, and Procedural GP payments), and the Rural Support Stream (Rural Loading and Indigenous Health Incentive).
Do I need accreditation to receive PIP payments?
Yes. To take part in the Practice Incentives Program a practice must be accredited, or registered for accreditation, against the RACGP Standards. If accreditation lapses, eligibility for all PIP incentives ends.
Related terms
Go deeper
Last reviewed