Pathway Eligibility
Once you have established your eligibility to apply for General Practice Training using the Eligibility Self-Assessment Guide, you will need to assess your Pathway Eligibility.
Section 19AB Health Insurance Act 1973 (10-year moratorium)
Section 19AB of the Health Insurance Act 1973 (the Act) provides that Medicare benefits are not payable for professional services provided by overseas-trained doctors and former overseas medical students, generally for a period of 10 years from the time they first become registered with a state or territory medical board.
From 1 April 2010, Section 19AB of the Health Insurance Act 1973 (the 10-year moratorium) will commence from the date of first medical registration in Australia.
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Applicants subject to Section 19AB of the Health Insurance Act 1973 are required to select the rural pathway in their AGPT application. Please check the Pathway Eligibility chart to assess your pathway.
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If you are unsure about your pathway eligibility please contact the AGPT Selection team on (02) 6263 6776 or email selection@gpet.com.au
The 10-year moratorium does not apply to overseas-trained doctors and former overseas medical students who:
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Registered with a state or territory medical board before 1 January 1997
or
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Made an application to the Australian Medical Council (AMC) to undertake exams, which was received before 1 January 1997, and on the day the application was received the doctor was eligible to undertake those examinations.
The 10-year moratorium starts on the date of your first medical registration in an Australian state or territory. This can be provisional registration.
Moratorium scaling
From 1 July 2010 doctors subject to Section 19AB of the Health Insurance Act 1973 (the 10-year moratorium) will be able to reduce their time requirements (currently 10 years) by up to five years, depending on the Remoteness Area of the location where they practise.
For more information please refer to the Doctor Connect website:
http://www.doctorconnect.gov.au/internet/otd/publishing.nsf/Content/program-otd
Doctors requiring detailed information about their individual circumstances in relation to Section 19AB of the Health Insurance Act 1973 (the 10-year moratorium) should contact the Department of Health and Ageing Workforce Regulations Section at 19AB@health.gov.au
New Zealand doctors
From 1 April 2010 doctors who were New Zealand citizens or New Zealand permanent residents at the time of commencement of a primary medical qualification gained in an accredited Australian or New Zealand university will no longer be subject to Section 19AB of the Health Insurance Act 1973 (the 10-year moratorium).
Further information is available by contacting selection@gpet.com.au or from the Department of Health and Ageing Workforce Regulation Section at 19AB@health.gov.au