13.1 Variable Payments

13.1.1 Inpatients

Unit DRG Payment

For hospital throughput up to the level prescribed by Target A, the variable case payment per patient treated is $1,371 per WIES7. Private patients will be paid at $970 per WIES7.

Target A Margin will be paid at $960 per WIES7.

Option WIES will be paid at $1,371 per public WIES7.

Same day medical targets for specified DRGs have been defined for each hospital and same day medical throughput in excess of these targets will not be funded.

Rural/Isolated Payment

The rural and isolated hospitals payments will be $14 and $35 per WIES7 respectively, and will apply to those hospitals designated in the Funding Guidelines.

Nursing Home Type Payment

Nursing home type patients in acute hospitals will be funded at $126 per day.

Rehabilitation in Designated Units

Rehabilitation in designated units will be funded on the new model (VicRehab) for those agencies with 20 beds or more with a rehabilitation weighted unit price of $8,378.

For the smaller agencies and where a bedday rate is applied the following rates apply:

Level 1 Rehabilitation?? $350 per day

Level 2 Rehabilitation ??$291 per day

13.1.2 Non-Admitted Patients

VACS Variable Grant

For throughput up to target the case payment will be $109 per weighted encounter. Targets have been set at 1998 calender year activity levels. Case payments will only be paid for public encounters and, where activity varies significantly from the agreed profile of services, or fails to reach target, adjustments will be made.

13.2 Other Grants

13.2.1 Inpatients

Notional Fixed Grant

Notional fixed grants have been standardised and reflect differences in infrastructure costs. The rates are $833 per fixed WIES for Major Providers (i.e. Networks and Barwon Health), $847 for large rural Group B hospitals, $868 for smaller rural Group B and C hospitals, and $891 for rural Group D and E hospitals. The notional fixed grants are then adjusted for historic differences in superannuation costs. For details on the calculation of notional fixed WIES refer to Section C: Calculation of WIES.

Training and Development Grant

These grants will continue for 1999 - 2000. The rates are detailed below:

Hospital Medical Officers Year 1, 2 and 3 Accredited Registrars Clinical Academic Staff Grade 1 Registered Nurses Post-graduate Nurses Post-graduate Midwifery Nurses Pharmacy Trainees Medical Radiation Interns Medical Biophysics Trainees Physiotherapists Grade 1, Year 2 Occupational Therapists Grade 1, Year 2 Speech Pathologists Grade 1, Year 2 Medical Laboratory Scientists

$33,753 per EFT $35,159 per EFT $39,066 per EFT $12,626 per EFT $11,573 per EFT $9,995 per EFT $24,701 per EFT $24,472 per EFT $13,853 per EFT $14,428 per EFT $14,428 per EFT $14,428 per EFT $11,719 per EFT

Payments are made only for positions and staffing approved or otherwise recognised by the Department. Detailed definitions of the payment conditions for Training and Development Grants are included in Section B. In addition, there is an medical and nursing undergraduate allowance calculated as 9 per cent of the total training and development grant for Group A and B hospitals. In 1999 - 2000, the allied health undergraduate allowance have been allocated to hospitals on the basis of clinical placement days.

Research grants will continue at the rates of $1,451,800 and $484,000.

Specified Grants

Approved specified grants will continue in 1999 - 2000.

13.2.2 Non-Admitted Patients

Emergency Services Grant

The non-admitted Emergency Services Grant will be allocated separately to account for emergency services. The levels of funding are outlined in Table 5.

Base Grant

In 1999 - 2000, the Base Grant will continue at the same level as 1998 - 99.

Teaching Grant

In recognition of the importance of non-admitted services for teaching and training a specified grant will continue to be allocated as a teaching grant. In 1999 - 2000, the Teaching Grant will continue at the same level as 1998 - 99.

Allied Health Services Grant

This grant will be determined on the basis of allied health occasions of service as reported by hospitals to the Department at an average cost of $40 per occasion of service.

Other Grants

These include services approved by the Clinical Panel for specific funding.