Becoming a provider organisation
What is a provider?
A provider is an organisation that has a contract with DA–Vic to run the Life! Taking Action on Diabetes Program (Life!) according to the agreed standards.
Who can be a provider?
To become a Life! provider and be eligible to receive payments, you must have an ABN, public liability and indemnity insurance and be able to meet the required program standards.
Providers need to be able to assist their facilitators generate and recruit referrals to run a minimum number of two courses per year. Targeted networking and marketing can be appropriate means of achieving this. Being able to establish common and innovative pathways of referral into Life! courses is crucial to the success of a provider’s program.
What is required of a provider?
A provider must enter into a provider service agreement with DA–Vic which confirms that the provider will comply with the program standards. This will include the provider employing (or contracting through a consultancy agreement) a certified Life! Taking Action on Diabetes facilitator to lead the program.
DA–Vic runs yearly training sessions and providers can apply to send suitably qualified staff to be trained as a Life! facilitator. Places are limited and selection is based on ability to generate referrals for Life! courses and according to location.
How does an organisation become a provider?
The interested organisation should send an Expression of Interest form to DA–Vic. The Relationship and Systems Coordinator will arrange a meeting with the organisation to give them more information about the program, including the program standards, and determine if they will make a suitable provider.
What funding does provider receive?
The provider organisation will receive $350+GST for each eligible participant who completes the Life! program. Completion is defined as full attendance at a minimum of four (4) of the six (6) sessions as defined in the program standards. For the provider to receive payment, an invoice and the required participant data must be submitted to DA–Vic. The provider can use this funding as they wish.
The minimum number of eligible participants required per group is eight. Therefore the provider can receive up to $2,800 + GST per course of eight people. The maximum number of participants in each group is fifteen. This equates to an amount of $5,250 + GST which the provider can receive.
Who is an eligible participant?
An eligible participant is someone who meets the criteria to participate in the Life! course. As detailed above, a provider receives $350 + GST from DA–Vic for each eligible participant 50 years of age and above.
An eligible participant:
- scores 12 or more on the AUSDRISK test
- has diabetes excluded within in the last 12 months
- is aged 50 years or older
Providers can also take advantage of an initiative from General Practice Victoria (GPV) who will fund the Life! program for eligible participants aged 40-49. A provider receives $214 + GST from GPV for eligible participants aged 40-49.
The Life! course is run for all eligible participants and providers can combine participants aged 40-49 and 50+ in the same course to make up the minimum 8 participants per course.
What does the program cost?
For the participants, the program is free for all low to medium income earners, as defined by the Department of Health (DH) Home and Community Care (HACC) guidelines. For high income earners there is a participant co-payment of $50 GST inclusive per person. The provider organisation collects this payment from the participant. The provider organisation may collect the participant co-payment at any time and through any process which the provider organisation determines.
The provider can receive a minimum of $2,800 + GST per course (if all 8 participants are aged 50 and over). The cost of running the course will vary. Organisations will need to consider:
- staff time and resources
- the dietitian and exercise physiologist/physiotherapist sessions (required for sessions 3 & 4)
- room hire (if required)
- participant recruitment initiatives etc.
How does a provider receive payments?
The provider organisation is required to send an invoice to DA–Vic for all participants aged 50 years and older including the payment amount and names of the participants. DA–Vic can only make payment once it has received an invoice from the provider and the participant data has been submitted. For participants aged 40-49 the provider will invoice GPV.
To arrange a meeting or to request more information please contact lifeteam@diabetesvic.org.au