What are Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) payments

Immunisations and the associated actions attract an Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) payment, which falls under the Service Incentive Payment (SIP) Scheme – Service Incentive Payments (SIPs) are made to General Practitioners who work with a practice that is enrolled in the Practice Incentives Program (PIP).

Should AIR payments relating to work completed by registrars be paid directly to registrars? 

No.  SIPs (including AIR payments) should be treated like all other MBS income generated by the registrar. Paid to the practice, then distributed to the registrar as part of their percentage calculation.

Is there any risk in paying all of it to the registrar directly?

Yes. As part of the percentage calculation (at whatever percentage and interval you agreed to in your contract with the registrar) the payments also attract superannuation. If you pay the full amount directly to the registrar, you could be liable for superannuation on top of the AIR payment if it is not managed appropriately, even where you have paid the full payment to the registrar directly. It therefore becomes a risk to have the full amount paid directly to the registrar and you could end up paying more then you receive.

It is therefore, much safer from a superannuation guarantee compliance perspective to treat your SIP payments like the rest of percentage payments and include them in the percentage calculation interval, which then ensures the correct amount of superannuation is also paid at that time of dispersement.

Who should receive the AIR payments?

When a practice manager is filling out the AIR paperwork for SIP, they should provide the practice’s bank details for the deposit.

What percentage of the AIR payment should be paid to the registrar and when?

Whatever you have agreed to in the registrar’s employment agreement, but not less than every 13 weeks. GPSA recommends that practices pay the NTCER rate of 44.79% to the registrar at intervals of no more/ less often than every 13 weeks.

Do the AIR payments attract super? 

Yes. As described, where it is managed as a part of the percentage calculation, it also then attracts superannuation when paid as a top-up at whatever interval you have agreed to.