What's new?

May 2013

The Healthcare Identifiers Service Licensed Materials for the May 2013 release are now available.

January 2013

New eligibility requirements for the PIP eHealth Incentive start 1 February.

The Department of Human Services’ Compliance Program 2012—13 is now available.

The 2013 Medicare Teen Dental Plan voucher is valued up to $166.15

The Medicare Safety Net threshold figures for 2013 are now available.

ECLIPSE

ECLIPSE is an extension to Medicare Australia's online claiming solutions and

  • offers a secure connection between practices, public and private hospitals, billing agents, Medicare and Department of Veterans' Affairs and health funds.
  • incorporates direct communication for providers with Medicare and health funds, all in the one transaction.

Online claiming can be used for both paid and unpaid medical claims— they are lodged directly to Medicare through the practice management software.

The name ECLIPSE is an industry coined acronym, and stands for: Electronic Claim Lodgment and Information Processing Service Environment.

Medical and Eligibility User Guide

The Medical and Eligibility User Guide for Medical Practitioners is now available.

Features

  1. Online patient verification (OPV) Check the validity of patient details with Medicare or a health fund. This can be done in real time and allows for the provision of aliases which cuts down on mismatches.
  2. In-patient medical claiming (IMC)
    • submit an in-patient medical claim to both Medicare and the health fund with a single click
    • fewer errors and fast return of incorrect Medicare details
    • available for all claims made under schemes and agreements, and those not made under a scheme or agreement
    • improved processing times—from weeks to days.
  3. Online eligibility checking (OEC)
    • check the eligibility of a patient for both Medicare and health fund benefits
    • estimate the out-of-pocket costs for hospital services and any known medical gaps
    • obtain informed financial consent.
  4. ECLIPSE remittance advice (ERA) Match your ECLIPSE claims to the deposits made into your bank accounts allowing for automated reconciliation.
  5. Claim status Check the status of an in-patient medical claim at any time. You will always have a clear view of where your claim is up to in the process.
  6. Online security Everyone—patients and staff—can feel confident that all information is transmitted securely using public key infrastructure (PKI) encryption.

What are the benefits?

  • Faster resolution of claims and faster payment times
  • Less manual intervention - fewer errors, speedier resolutions
  • Clearer error messages with a single point of contact for problem resolution
  • Online patient verification of Medicare enrolment and health fund membership
  • No more claims batching
  • One system for all health funds
  • No transaction costs for medical claiming
  • A one stop shop for claiming.

What health funds are involved?

For the individual functionality and contact details of each Health Fund involved in ECLIPSE, please see the Health Fund Functionality and Contact Details document [PDF, 136Kb]PDF reader required, Health Fund Functionality and Contact Details document [RTF, 494Kb].

How are hospitals involved?

Depending upon the option that your business chooses, a hospital may operate as a billing agent or under an agreement.

Find more information on how to register as a billing agent.

Hospitals have now commenced integrating ECLIPSE into their systems.

Comments from practices

During June 2005 Medicare Australia contacted a selection of practices using our online services:

'I'd heard that the online claiming could improve cash flow and it has proved that, it does help,' Group practice manager Fay Briggs, Hahndorf, Mount Barker, Woodside and Nairne Medical Practices June 2005.

'The program itself takes you through everything step-by-step and it's just really easy.' Practice Manager Pat Deegan, Mountain Retreat Medical Practice June 2005.

'The claims are coming back quicker and they're coming back with less rejections. The program is explaining exactly why they've been rejected. And they're easier to resubmit because we can resubmit them online straight way.' Practice Manager, Ms Wootton, M Catt Pty Ltd June 2005.

Contact us

For further information on ECLIPSE:

  • Phone: eBusiness Service Centre - 1800 700 199

Make a request for more information, or to have a business development officer contact your practice.

Some documents on this page may require the free Adobe PDF reader.

Last updated: 11 October, 2012