VACS Weights

Clinical Specialties and Weights

Clinical specialties form the basis of the VACS system. There are 47 categories, all of which are weighted, except for allied health and emergency medicine. The 35 ‘weighted’ and 12 ‘unweighted’ clinical specialties are outlined below.

Hospital staff make the initial assignment of hospital clinics to the categories defined under the classification system. These assignments are then evaluated by the VACS Clinical Panel of eminent senior clinicians from a range of specialties. A move from annual to quarterly reporting (in May, August, November and February) began in May 2006, in response to the VACS Clinical Verification and Activity Audit recommendations). 

The table below lists the cost weights for each of the 35 weighted clinical categories.  These are derived annually as part of the Victorian Cost Weight Study using data from between 14 and 16 of the 19 VACS hospitals.

VACS Categories and Weights 2008-09

Notes:
1. 2008–09 cost weights have been set using 2006-07 VACS cost data, except for VACS 102, 115, 311 and 501 which have been set using a 3 year rolling average.

2. Weights are not detailed for VACS 550 – 611 as these categories are funded as fixed grants.

Patient Encounters

Hospitals are funded on the basis of patient encounters. The encounter is defined as the clinic visit, plus all ancillary services (pathology, radiology and pharmacy) provided within the 30 days either side of the clinic visit.  The 30-day window has been chosen to encompass the majority of services associated with a particular visit and to enable a reasonable and practical time period for reporting and funding.  This approach more closely reflects patterns of clinical care and provides better resource utilisation and controls than the “unbundled” fee-for-service or occasions of service systems.

NOTE: In categories 101–502, a doctor (or for categories 401 and 402, a midwife performing equivalent responsibilities) must see the patient at each encounter.

Some examples of bundling to form the encounter for cost weight purposes

For reporting purposes, only the clinic visit needs to be reported as VACS activity.  Encounters are paid on the basis of the cost weight, which is derived from the annual Cost Weight Study, and incorporates the ancilliary services.  For more details on casemix funding, see: http://www.health.vic.gov.au/casemix/index.htm

Previously, VACS ancillary services, such as pathology, radiology and pharmacy were reported on the AIMS S2 Non-Admitted Form, as part of Commonwealth reporting requirements.  Since July 2005, the AIMS S9 and S2 forms have been combined into the S9 -111 Form.   For more details on these forms see the AIMS Public Hospital User Manual (Version 13.0, July 2005) website: http://www.health.vic.gov.au/aims/man2006.htm

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Contact: Nermin Songur (03) 9096 7897 or Teresa Barton (03) 9096 7221