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If you provide diagnostic imaging or radiation oncology services, make sure you:
- list your equipment on the Location Specific Practice Number (LSPN) Register
- get accreditation before you perform diagnostic imaging Medicare eligible services
- let us know about any changes to your registration.
Renewing your registration
Each year we’ll remind you to update your LSPN record details to maintain your registration.
We’ll ask you to either:
- update the details of your registration
- confirm all information is correct.
If you link at least one authorised person to your practice in Health Professional Online Services (HPOS), you’ll get this reminder online in HPOS.
If you don’t respond on time:
- we’ll suspend your registration
- we won’t pay Medicare benefits.
We may cancel your registration if your practice doesn’t respond to these requests after 3 months.
To renew your registration, log in to your Provider Digital Access (PRODA) account to access HPOS, then:
- Select My details, then My organisations.
- Select Renew for the LSPN you want to renew.
- Review the Organisation summary details.
- Select Renew if the details are correct or No if you need to make changes.
If you need to make changes, you’ll need to complete the Application to register or amend a diagnostic imaging or radiation oncology practice form (HW061).
Letting us know about changes
You need to let us know if your practice’s primary information changes within 28 days. If you don’t it may affect your Medicare eligibility.
Primary information includes:
- business name
- Australian Company Number (ACN)
- Australian Business Number (ABN)
- details of the equipment types located on the premises or base for mobile diagnostic imaging equipment
- address of the premises
- for bases for mobile diagnostic imaging or radiation oncology equipment, the address of the proprietor of the base (if applicable).
You’ll also need to let us know if both:
- a provider stops working at your practice
- they own equipment listed on the LSPN Register.
Complete the Application to register or amend a diagnostic imaging or radiation oncology practice form (HW061).
If your authorised representative can’t sign the amendment or declaration forms because they’re sick or on leave:
- a practice manager must sign the form
- you must include a letter on practice stationery outlining the change and why an authorised person wasn’t available.
You must send us this letter if someone other than the authorised representative signs the declaration form.
Adding or updating your equipment details
Use the Application to register or amend a diagnostic imaging or radiation oncology practice form (HW061) to do all of the following:
- add new equipment
- replace existing equipment
- update equipment details
- remove equipment.
Find out more about equipment upgrades on the Department of Health and Aged Care website.
The proprietor or authorised representative can use HPOS to view or download an LSPN equipment list. You can email us for help if you can’t access your equipment list using HPOS.
When you can start and stop your equipment registration
The table below explains what dates you can use to start and stop equipment registration.
Type | Eligible date |
---|---|
| Whichever is later:
|
| The date you specify on the form. |
Find more about updating late registration details changes.
MRI equipment
MRI equipment eligibility is different depending on where it’s located.
If your practice is located in a Modified Monash (MM) 1 location, you’ll need approval from the Department of Health and Aged Care (DHAC). You must get this approval before you submit an application.
If you have a comprehensive practice located within a MM 2-7 location, you can list fully eligible MRI equipment without prior approval from DHAC.
A comprehensive practice means you operate and maintain MRI equipment at a practice which offers all of the following services:
- X-ray
- Ultrasound
- Computed Tomography (CT).
To check your MM location, use the Health Workforce Locator on the DHAC website.
You can also list MRI equipment not eligible for Medicare by selecting this option on the Application to register or amend a diagnostic imaging or amend a diagnostic imaging or radiation oncology practice form (HW061).
Confirm MRI provider eligibility
You’ll need to provide details of the radiologists for your practice if they'll provide Medicare eligible MRI services.
On the Application to register or amend a diagnostic imaging or radiation oncology practice form (HW061), you need to confirm both of the following:
- they’re specialists in diagnostic radiology
- they participate in the Royal Australasian College of Radiologists Quality and Accreditation program.
We can’t pay Medicare benefits for MRI services provided with ineligible MRI equipment.
You may be able to claim for MRI services for Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) patients. You can provide MRI services to a DVA patient on ineligible MRI equipment. You’ll need to contact DVA to let them know you want to claim.
Find out more about MRI eligibility on the Department of Health and Aged Care website.
Changing your practice address
You need a new LSPN record if you move to another location. This is because LSPN records are location specific.
To make sure there are no gaps in your Medicare eligibility, you need to do all of the following:
- complete the Application to register or amend a diagnostic imaging or radiation oncology practice form (HW061) before you move
- include the start date and location for the new practice
- tell us when the existing location is closing
- ask the authorised representative or proprietor to sign both declarations on the form.
Changing your business information
To advise of changes to business details you need to:
- complete the Application to register or amend a diagnostic imaging or radiation oncology practice form (HW061)
- tell us the date of change
- have an authorised representative or proprietor of the existing organisation sign the declaration for LSPN registration closures
- have the proprietor of the new organisation sign the declaration for LSPN registrations and amendments.
If you’re late updating your information
We’ll update your information from the date we get your request.
If you tell us about changes after 28 days you need to include a letter with your application telling us why.
This letter must:
- be signed by the proprietor or authorised representative
- explain the cause of the delay in submission
- outline why we need to record an earlier effective date.
Authorised representative changes
You must make sure your authorised representative’s information is up to date so they:
- have access to make changes to the practice registration
- get our messages.
You can nominate authorised representatives online using HPOS.
You can also use the Application to register or amend a diagnostic imaging or radiation oncology practice form (HW061).
If an authorised representative or proprietor can’t sign the form, a responsible executive can approve the changes. For example:
- chief executive officer.
- general manager.
- director.
Opting out of electronic messaging
If you link at least one administrator to your practice in HPOS, you’ll get electronic messages. You can opt out of these messages in HPOS.
Find out more about opting out of electronic messages.