Health Professional Online Services FAQs

What is Health Professional Online Services (HPOS)?

HPOS offers access to Medicare Australia’s online services for health professionals through a single entry point. It provides access to information about your identity, eligibility under Medicare arrangements and information on payment of Medicare claims.

What services are available if I logon using a PKI individual certificate?

A Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) individual certificate will give you access to the full range of information and services available through HPOS, including:

• creating and editing a personalised My Favourites favourites menu
• the ability for health professionals to nominate a delegate (administrative user) to undertake tasks on their behalf
• the ability for administrative users to select a health professional and act as their delgate
• Medicare services such as provider personal details, viewing provider number details, accessing Medicare Easyclaim processing and payment reports and adding a new Medicare practice location in real time
• Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR)
• Patient Verification
• viewing a patient’s care plan history
• the Prescription Shopping Information Program
• an online eligbility tool
• forms
• the National Bowel Cancer Screening Register
• Administrative Position Statements (APS)
• a secure email subscription facility
• the Approved Pathology Collection Centre search
• education resources.

What services are available to administrative users logging on with a PKI individual certificate?

HPOS allows administrative users, such as practice staff, to logon to HPOS using a PKI individual certificate and act as a delegate on behalf of a health professional. The health professional must first nominate the delegate to act on their behalf.

Administrative users can also logon to HPOS using a PKI site certificate which provides access to Patient Verification only.

When acting on behalf of a health professional, you will have access to the full range of HPOS information and services (excluding ACIR and View patient care plan history).

If you don’t have a PKI individual certificate you can request one by going to Register for PKI.

As the site certificate Duly Authorised Officer (DAO) how do I apply for a PKI individual certificate?

If you are already registered as the site certificate DAO, a 100 point evidence of identity (EOI) check will not be required when applying for a PKI individual certificate. When applying for the individual certficate, you need to quote the 10 digit registration authority number or alternatively the trading name of the practice that you are the site certificate DAO for.

Any other person applying for a PKI individual individual certificate, who is not already known to Medicare Australia, will need to provide 100 points of EOI.

You can request a PKI individual certificate by going to Register for PKI

What services are available if I logon using a PKI site certificate?

Only Patient Verification is available when you logon to HPOS using a PKI site certificate.

What services are available if I logon using my user ID and password?

The services available when you log on to HPOS using your user ID and password include:

• Medicare services—update provider personal details, view provider number details and Medicare Easyclaim processing and payment reports
• the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program.

I’m a health professional, how do I logon to HPOS?

Health professionals can log on to HPOS using:

a  Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) individual certificate

or

a user ID and password. 

I’m an ACIR user, how do I logon to HPOS?

Australian Childhood Immunisation Register (ACIR) users cannot access the full range of HPOS services using their existing ACIR user ID and password.

To access the full range of HPOS information and services you will need a PKI individual certificate.

If you don’t have a PKI individual certificate you can request one by going to the Register for PKI link on the HPOS home page.

I’m a Hearing Services eClaiming user, how do I logon to HPOS?

Hearing Services eClaiming users only have access to the eClaiming service using their user ID and password.

Why are my account and BSB numbers displaying zero’s against my PIPSIP bank account?

Your PIPSIP bank account is currently displaying zeros because it is linked to the ACIR bank account previously nominated for the location.

If you choose to update your ACIR bank account details it will automatically update your PIPSIP bank account for the location.

You can choose another preferred bank account for your PIPSIP payment, however this will mean the link with your ACIR bank account will be broken.

If you choose to have a different PIPSIP bank account to your ACIR bank account, the account number will be displayed.

Why does my SIPACAI account have no location listed?

SIPACAI account payments are made based on your provider stem.

Who can I contact for help?

User guides are available to help you logon and use the HPOS website.

For help with your personal information and practice details call Medicare Provider liaison on 132 150* or email medicare.prov@medicareaustralia.gov.au

For help logging on to HPOS using an individual certificate call the eBusiness Service Centre on 1800 700 199** (option 3) 

For help logging on to HPOS using a user ID and password call the ACIR Internet helpdesk on 1300 650 039** or email acir@medicareaustralia.gov.au

For information about HPOS call the eBusiness Service Centre on 1800 700 199** (option 5).

* Call charges apply

^**Call charges apply from mobile and pay phones only.

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