Avant Getting Started in Private Practice Program

The Avant GSIPP discount is available to doctors starting out in private practice and is a progressive discount off your base Avant Practitioner Indemnity Insurance premium. That is, a sliding scale of reductions applied to your base premium over a four year period.

IMPORTANT: The discounts do not apply to previous or existing members of the Getting Started in Private Practice scheme and only apply from the first year a member becomes eligible and subject to eligibility rules.

Avant offers a discretionary program. You may be eligible for Avant's GSIPP Program if you:

Hold or are applying for an Avant Practitioner Indemnity Insurance Policy

• Are moving into a specialist category of practice, that is:
  • general practice categories
  • specialist non-surgical categories
  • surgeon categories (excluding Surgeon General including Bariatric, Orthopaedic Surgeon including Spinal and Neurosurgeon)
  • other medical category - defence forces or psychotherapy (non-specialist)
• Pay your premium directly to Avant Insurance
• Have not previously generated more than $25,000 in private practice billings in any 12 month period in Australia.
• Apply for the discount in the first year you become eligible. The first year you become eligible is defined as the first 12 month period in which you estimate your gross private practice billings at more than $25,000. 

Step into private practice with confidence knowing you’re protected by Avant’s comprehensive Practitioner Indemnity Insurance Policy.

Below are just some of the benefits covered by your policy:
(Please note: This is not a complete summary of the policy, terms and conditions that apply. Visit the Avant Practitioner Indemnity Insurance Policy page for more information).

Part A: Professional Indemnity Insurance, $20 million maximum policy limit

Part B: Cover for disciplinary and other matters

Part C: Communicable disease cover and away from work costs

We understand that starting or joining a private practice can be expensive. This is why we created the Avant GSIPP discount; to help take the pressure off your first years in private practice by offering substantial savings on your base Practitioner Indemnity Insurance premium.  

Avant is a financially strong mutual owned by and run for our members. Everything we do is for the benefit of our members, including the reinvestment of any financial surplus – this is why we can offer you member benefits like the Avant GSIPP discount.

The first year you become eligible is defined as the first 12 month period in which you estimate your gross private practice billings at more than $25,000.

Yes, as long as you have not earned more than $25,000 in private practice in Australia. Please note that billings you earned as a Doctor in Training do not count.

If you are an existing member of Avant:

As an existing Avant member moving into private practice for the first time, you just need to speak with a service specialist in our Member Services team.

They will ask you questions such as your estimated gross billings for private practice and confirm other details such as your category of practice, principal place of practice etc. They will also run through the eligibility criteria for the GSIPP discount with you. If you meet the eligibility criteria, the GSIPP discount will be applied automatically.

If you are applying for membership with Avant:

On receipt of your Practitioner Indemnity Insurance Policy application, Avant will automatically assess your eligibility for the GSIPP discount. If you meet the eligibility criteria, the discount will be applied to your premium. You do not need to do anything.

If on assessing your application, we require any further information to help us determine your eligibly for the GSIPP discount, a service specialist will contact you directly.

Yes.

No. Should you cease private practice for a period of time, your GSIPP discount will be frozen rather than cancelled. When you return to private practice you just need to speak with a service specialist in our Member Services team, and advise them that you would like your discount reactivated.

Option 1: Members who have less than six months remaining.
No you cannot defer the GSIPP discount but this is not bad news. As you have less than six months remaining on your current policy, you will receive the discount for the remainder of the current policy and for the full year next policy period also. Your year two will start the year after that, and so on.

Option 2: Members who have more than six months remaining.
Unfortunately no, you cannot defer the GSIPP discount. You will receive the year one discount for the remainder of the current policy period and move to the year two discount at the time your policy is renewed.

No. You will still receive the same cover under Avant’s Practitioner Indemnity Insurance Policy.

Yes, as this discount is discretionary this may be removed.