EmailHospital Circular 15/2004
Date Issued: 28 June 2004
Distribution: Public Hospitals
Subject: Victorian Maintenance Dialysis Program
Purpose: To advise hospitals of changes to the 2003-04 funding policy for the Victorian Maintenance Dialysis Program.
The 2003-04 funding policy stated that maintenance dialysis (MD) would be treated the same as all other WIES (as was the case in previous years). The exception was that WIES would continue to follow the patient for any patients transferring from one service to another. However, hospitals would not receive additional WIES for any new patients admitted to the MD program. The department indicated that it would monitor the movement of transferring patients in order to facilitate WIES adjustments.
In establishing a mechanism to monitor the transfer of WIES, it has become apparent a monitoring system that has all the necessary information would be particularly onerous and burdensome for hospital staff to complete. Rather than trying to implement a process that will add additional workload to hospital staff, a decision has been made to return to the policy of paying hospitals the full value of any MD WIES based on actual activity. This will be done as a prior year adjustment (PYA).
The PYA process will identify actual MD WIES against the initial budgeted number. Where the actual exceeds the budget, the agency’s overall WIES target will be notionally adjusted in the calculations of the PYA. A similar notional target adjustment will be made where renal activity is less than target.
The decision to change the funding formula was carefully considered by the department in consultation with Health Services. This decision recognises the importance of ensuring that all people needing MD have access to dialysis services and, where possible, are dialysed at the hospital closest to their home.
The department believes that funding to actual activity optimises the service delivery for MD clients. The policy of funding to actual activity will continue for 2004-05. Further information for 2004-05 will be posted on the renal dialysis website in the near future.
The department apologises for the late change, but believes that the modification will result in a fairer system that does not burden staff with additional work and provides the maximum benefit to patients.
For further information, rural hospitals should contact their departmental regional office. Regional offices have been advised of the targets for hospitals in their regions. Further information can be obtained by contacting the relevant departmental officers as per the website.
Changes notified by hospital circular will be updated in the Guidelines on the Commonwealth/State Highly Specialised Drugs Program Guidelines website and the claim form amended.
Noreen Dowd |
Peter Donnelly Director, Funding and Financial Policy Metropolitan Health and Aged Care Services |
