Delivering hospital based care

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Find out how to work with us and deliver hospital based care to our clients.

On this page

  1. Who can deliver hospital based care
  2. Public hospitals
  3. Private hospitals and private mental health hospitals
  4. Day Procedure Centres
  5. The Private Hospital Patient Experience Survey
  6. Online schedules and hospital-related information
  7. Forms and Certificates

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Who can deliver hospital based care

This information is for our contracted:

  • public hospitals
  • private hospitals
  • private mental health hospitals
  • day procedure centres

Referrals and admissions for hospital treatment

If you need information on hospital admission and treatment see our Hospital admission and discharge page.

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Public hospitals

We have arrangements with all state and territory governments to provide care in public hospitals.

In most cases, you do not need prior approval before you admit a Veteran Gold Card holder to a public hospital. If you are unsure if we will pay, please contact us as soon as possible before you admit the client.

Quality reporting

Public hospital quality reporting is managed by state and territory health departments. Public hospitals are not required to submit anything extra to us.

If you have any specific queries please contact dva.public.hospitals [at] dva.gov.au

Funding arrangements in public hospitals

We provide funding to public hospitals providing:

  • an activity-based payment for each episode. This includes the cost of surgically implanted prostheses.
  • non-admitted services, in Tasmania to the Tasmanian Department of Health and Human Services.

For all queries regarding public hospitals please contact dva.public.hospitals [at] dva.gov.au

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Private hospitals and private mental health hospitals

Our private hospital information guide provides information for private hospital and private mental health hospital staff.

Our contracted private hospitals:

Quality reporting for private hospitals and mental health private hospitals

All of our contracted hospitals are required to complete and submit an annual quality report (QR) by 31 October.

Download the current Private Hospital Quality report template

Send your completed QR to dvaprivatehospitalqualityreports [at] dva.gov.au

Program proposals for private hospital services

We invite hospitals to submit proposals for programs that may improve health outcomes in the veteran population.

We have created guidelines to help you draft your proposal:

Please refer to the relevant guidelines when you write your proposal.

Send your completed program proposal to resp.priv.hospitals [at] dva.gov.au

Discharge planning

We believe that effective discharge planning has many benefits for patients. We work closely with hospitals so that transferring from hospital to home is as seamless as possible.

You can find information on the health and home support services available to our clients to assist them to discharge safely home in our two publications:

If patients need convalescent care in a residential aged care facility, discharge planners will need to seek approval from DVA by contacting 1800 550 457 or by email health.approval [at] dva.gov.au prior to arranging care.

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Day Procedure Centres

The DPC Information Guide (PDF 620 KB) provides important information for Day Procedure Centres (DPCs) working with us.

A list of our contracted DPCs are available from the following document:

Quality reporting for DPCs

All of our contracted Day Procedure Centres must complete and submit an annual Quality Report (QR) by 31 October.

Download the current DPC quality report template

Send your completed report to DPC QR to dvaprivatehospitalqualityreports [at] dva.gov.au

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The Private Hospital Patient Experience Survey

All DVA patients who have had an overnight stay in a private hospital or private mental health hospital are invited to participate in this survey. Hospital staff give a survey form to patients upon discharge and patients are asked to complete the survey and return it within 3 weeks of discharge. For all hospitals wishing to order more survey forms, please call DVA’s Survey Administrator on 1800 001 154

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The Group Accommodation and Theatre Banding (GATB) Schedules and tables

As outlined in our private hospital agreements, accommodation and operating theatre charges must be claimed-based on the GATB Schedule.

The GATB Schedule comprises 2 tables:

1 based on the Commonwealth Medicare Benefits Schedule (CMBS):

and

1 based on ICD 10 Medical Group Accommodation Banding Schedule diagnosis/disease codes:

Please note there are annotations used in the Schedule and your attention is drawn to these.

Please note that the Medical Group Accommodation Banding Schedule dated 1 July 2022.

Hospital data submission

Hospital Casemix Protocol (HCP) data must be submitted by all:

  • private hospitals
  • mental health private hospitals
  • day procedure centres

The Hospital Casemix Protocol (HCP) Data Upload link connects to our secure services login page.

Surgically Implanted Prostheses Schedule

The Department of Health provides a link to the latest listing of the Surgically Implanted Prostheses Schedule.

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Forms and Certificates

Critical Care Certificates

These certificates are used to:

  • clinically verify the need for accommodation in a Critical Care Facility
  • list the required interventions and level of nursing care

There are two critical care certificates:

The Rehabilitation Program certificate

The Rehabilitation Program Certificate (PDF 596 KB) is used when a patient is admitted for any of the following:

  • inpatient rehabilitation
  • admitted same day rehabilitation
  • non-admitted sessional rehabilitation program

The Rehabilitation Program certificate should be signed by a rehabilitation physician.

Keeping the patient certificates for audit

You must keep the original certificate on the patient file for audit purposes. This includes the:

  • coronary care certificate
  • intensive care patient certificate
  • rehabilitation program certificate
  • same day or overnight certificate

Do not send these documents to us or Services Australia.

If you need any help with forms, call our provider helpline on 1800 550 457

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