Tripling of Veterans’ Access Payments for GP’s
The Veterans’ Access Payment (VAP) incentive is a payment available to GPs who treat eligible veterans and their families under DVA’s Veteran Card arrangements.
On 1 November 2023, new VAP incentive items were introduced. These incentives offer higher payments to GPs providing some of the most common services to Veteran Card holders. This increase aims to further incentivise GPs to treat veterans and their families.
GPs can claim the higher VAP incentives with the following types of consultations:
- All face-to-face general attendance consultations that are:
- longer than 6 minutes (that is Levels B, C, D and E);
- in any location (in and out of consulting rooms, residential aged care facilities); and
- at any time (business and after-hours items).
- MBS Level B video and telephone general attendance consultations.
- Video and telephone consultations that are:
- longer than 20 minutes (Levels C, D and E (video only)); and
- if your patient is registered with your practice through MyMedicare
Standard VAP payments will continue to be available for other relevant services to veteran card holders. For information on which item numbers the tripled VAP applies to please visit MBSOnline.
Here’s how you will benefit.
| Modified Monash category | VAP from 1 November 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Standard VAP ($) | Tripled VAP ($) | |
| 1 – metropolitan areas | 8.10 | 24.25 |
| 2 – regional centres | 12.25 | 36.90 |
| 2-7 (Afterhours) | 12.25 | 36.90 |
| 3-4 large and medium rural towns | 13.00 | 39.20 |
| 5 – small rural towns | 13.85 | 41.65 |
| 6 – remote communities | 14.60 | 43.95 |
| 7 – very remote communities | 15.55 | 46.65 |
Items MT83 – MT89 will no longer be available to claim for services provided on or after 1 November 2023. From 1 November, GPs who were billing these DVA-only items can now use the equivalent MBS item to claim the VAP incentive for eligible consultations.
If you are claiming for services prior to 1 November, you may continue to use items MT83 – MT89 to claim the VAP incentive for eligible consultations.
A table of the new VAP items, and information on other incentive payments we offer, is available on the DVA Incentive payments for general practitioners webpage.