Extended Primary and Community Care (EPCC)

MidCentral Region

EPCC Programme (formerly POAC)

On this page

 

 

The Extended Primary and Community Care (EPCC) programme supports General Practice and other providers to deliver timely, community-based care for patients who would otherwise require ED or hospital-level intervention. 


As a targeted funding mechanism, it enables extended, condition-specific acute care beyond routine general practice, aiming to improve patient outcomes and reducing pressure on acute hospital services. 


EPCC replaces Primary Options for Acute Care (POAC), introducing consistent, regionally aligned and clinically sound acute care packages, underpinned by HealthPathways guidance. 

EPCC conditions

EPCC is available for the following acute conditions: 

  • Asthma 
  • Pneumonia 
  • COPD 
  • Cellulitis 
  • Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) 
  • Rehydration/Dehydration (IV fluids only) 
  • Chest Pain 
  • Renal Colic 


These conditions have been selected to support timely, community-based care, reduce hospital presentations, and improve patient outcomes.

 

For clinical criteria and guidance, please refer to the EPCC Programme 2025 PDF.

For payment details, visit the Provider Portal.


Claims process

Eligibility criteria for EPCC will be integrated into your Patient Management System (PMS) from 1 September, guiding you through the process and forming the basis of claim submissions to THINK Hauora. 


Indici users: updates will be applied automatically, with no significant changes to your PMS or processes. 


MedTech users:  


  • There are 19 new service codes for the EPCC programme. You can either configure these codes manually, or we can assist by running a script to apply them for you.
    Please see the         attached set-up guide for instructions or access it in the Provider Portal here.
  • Additional guidance on the new claiming process will be coming soon.


Need help? If you have any questions about the claiming process, please contact ns@thinkhauora.nz.


Regional and national EPCC developments

Health NZ – Te Whatu Ora is working with partners to support greater consistency in EPCC across the Central Region. This includes developing shared Business Rules covering pricing, eligibility, and clinical criteria to ensure equitable access to care, regardless of district.

 

Later this year, a regionally standardised EPCC programme will be rolled out across the Central Region. The changes going live in our network from 1 September are aligned with this regional direction, and feedback from our network will help shape the final model. 


A national EPCC programme is also underway, initially focused on planned care. It will roll out gradually over the next 2–3 years, with additional conditions expected to be added.