19AB Moratorium Scaling

Medicare’s 19AB rules require doctors who studied their medical degree outside Australia to work in an area of distribution priority area (DPA) for their first 10 years of practice here.

The Department of Health offers a pathway called “scaling” to reduce the 10 year period by working in general practice in more rural and remote areas.

Under the scaling system, working in rural and remote areas earns scaling credits. The more remote the location, the more credits you earn.

So, if someone works in Toodyay (80 mins drive from the Perth CBD) the RA2 classification means that your moratorium would be 9 years.

If you work in Port Hedland (an hour’s flight to Perth), the RA4 classification means that your moratorium will be 6 years.

The fact sheet is here.

You’ll need to refer to the Health Workforce Locator. Type in the address and tick “ASGS Remoteness Areas 2016”, this will let you know the RA classification.

By logging into your Health Professional Online Services account, you can check your current scaling credits, view the date you are eligible for the class exemption from 19AB and check the end date of your moratorium.