Help patients with the Continence Aids Payment Scheme

Before you help your patient apply for CAPS, the patient should check the eligibility requirements.

They’ll ask you to complete Section 3 - Health Report in the CAPS application form. They’ll give you the whole form, but you only need to complete the health report.

Include your details and information about your patient’s condition. The Continence Aids Payment Scheme Application Guidelines and Form can be downloaded from the Department of Health and Aged Care website.

Patients can also apply for CAPS online using their Medicare online account. Your patient can read more about how to apply.

Your patient will need to get a continence assessment from a registered health professional who can’t be a family member.

You should only complete the Section 3 - Health Report if you can make an accurate assessment in relation to their incontinence and its cause.

To be eligible your patient must meet all of the following conditions:

• They must have permanent and severe incontinence of bladder or bowel function.
• Their incontinence is due directly to an eligible neurological condition or eligible other condition.
• Their incontinence impacts on their quality of life and is not likely to improve with medical, surgical or clinical treatment regimes.

Permanent and severe incontinence is defined as frequent and uncontrollable moderate to large loss of urine or faeces.

They won’t be eligible if their incontinence is:

• temporary, not permanent and not severe
• treatable or is night time bed wetting only.

You can read about eligible neurological conditions and eligible other conditions on the Department of Health and Aged Care website.

Registered health professionals include, but aren’t limited to a:

• continence nurse
• general practitioner
• medical specialist
• registered nurse
• community nurse
• Aboriginal health worker.