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At Elective Recruitment, we’re here to help you navigate the process of obtaining your Medicare provider number. Whether you’re a new graduate or an experienced doctor who has secured their first job in Australia, or a locum doctor applying for additional locations, this guide will provide you with all the essential information you need.<\/p>\n
What is a Medicare provider number? <\/strong><\/p>\n A Medicare provider number is a unique number issued to eligible health professionals that allows practitioners to bill, refer and request services that are eligible for Medicare benefits, the Australian Government funded health system.<\/p>\n You must apply for a unique provider number for each place of practice and profession you practise in.<\/p>\n To qualify for a rebatable Medicare provider number to bill for services, you must satisfy section 19AA of the Health Insurance Act 1973 and be either:<\/p>\n As an intern, registrar or trainee, you may be required to hold a non-rebatable provider number to refer to specialists and request diagnostic tests that are eligible for a Medicare benefit.<\/p>\n To apply for a Medicare Provider Number, you\u2019ll require:<\/strong><\/p>\n You can read more information here about<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>identity documents you need before you start<\/a>.<\/p>\n How to apply:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n If you have Australian Government identity documents you can apply online:<\/p>\n 1. You need a\u00a0<\/span>Provider Digital Access (PRODA)<\/a>\u00a0account to access<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Health Professional Online Services (<\/a>HPOS<\/a>). If you don\u2019t have one,\u00a0<\/span>register for PRODA<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>online. The set-up process should take 10-15 mins. HPOS is a secure online portal that connects healthcare professionals directly with the Department of Human Services (DHS). The DHS is responsible for managing Medicare.<\/p>\n 2. Set up your HPOS access using either your Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) registration number or other healthcare identifier.<\/p>\n 3. Once you have HPOS access, apply for your\u00a0<\/span>initial Medicare provider number<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>online to work in Australia.<\/p>\n 4. To apply for an initial Medicare provider number, log in to your PRODA account to access HPOS, then:<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t have Australian Government issued identity documents you\u2019ll need to:<\/p>\n 1.\u00a0<\/span>Complete the\u00a0<\/span>Manual Identity Verification Provider Digital Access form<\/a>\u00a0to register a PRODA account.<\/span><\/p>\n 2.\u00a0<\/span>Set up your HPOS access using either your AHPRA registration number, or other\u00a0<\/span>healthcare identifier<\/a>.<\/p>\n 3.\u00a0<\/span>Once you have HPOS access, you can apply for your initial\u00a0<\/span>Medicare Provider Number<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>online to work in Australia following step 4\u00a0 above.<\/p>\n If you can\u2019t apply online, you\u2019ll need to complete an application form and return it with supporting documents by:<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0post to<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Services Australia \u2022\u00a0<\/span>email to<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>provider.registration@servicesaustralia.gov.au<\/a><\/p>\n You can download the application forms\u00a0<\/span>here<\/a><\/p>\n Processing Time:<\/strong><\/p>\n Applying for a new Provider Number via PRODA grants the number instantaneously. Email and postal Medicare provider number applications can take up to 28 days to process from the date of your application.<\/p>\n Apply for Additional Provider Numbers<\/strong><\/p>\n You can apply for an additional provider number through HPOS or by completing a form.<\/p>\n You will need to apply for an additional provider number if you work:<\/p>\n Obtaining a Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) Prescriber Number<\/strong><\/p>\n In addition to your Medicare provider number, you will also need a PBS prescriber number if you’re a health professional who prescribes medications. This number allows you to prescribe medications under the PBS.<\/p>\n To apply for a PBS prescriber number, log in to your PRODA account to access HPOS, then:<\/p>\n A prescriber number can also be requested by completing the form as linked above.<\/p>\n If you have any questions about obtaining your Medicare provider number, our friendly team is here to answer your questions and guide you smoothly through the process. Don’t hesitate to reach out! Contact us at\u00a0<\/span>hello@elective.com.au<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" At Elective Recruitment, we’re here to help you navigate the process of obtaining your Medicare provider number. Whether you’re a new graduate or an experienced doctor who has secured their first job in Australia, or a locum doctor applying for additional locations, this guide will provide you with all the essential information you need. What…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1434,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1431","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-post"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.elective.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1431","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.elective.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.elective.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.elective.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.elective.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1431"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.elective.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1431\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.elective.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media\/1434"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.elective.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1431"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.elective.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1431"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.elective.com.au\/af-api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1431"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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\nProvider Registration Section
\nGPO Box 9822
\nIn your capital city<\/p>\n\n
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