Location Specific Practice Number (LSPN) - information for health professionals

NOTE: Before being eligible to provide Medicare funded diagnostic imaging services, your practice must have an LSPN, and must be accredited under the Diagnostic Imaging Accreditation Scheme.

Practice registration is an initiative of the Department of Health and Ageing in consultation with the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR), the Australian Diagnostic Imaging Association (ADIA), the Australian and New Zealand Association of Physicians in Nuclear Medicine (ANZAPNM) and Medicare Australia.

Where a practice site provides diagnostic imaging or radiation oncology services, Health Insurance Amendment (Diagnostic Imaging, Radiation Oncology and Other Measures) Act 2003 requires these sites to be registered with Medicare Australia in order for Medicare benefits to be payable. Registered sites and bases for mobile equipment are allocated a Location Specific Practice Number (LSPN). The LSPN is a unique identifier which is required to be submitted as part of each Medicare claim for diagnostic imaging or radiation oncology services.

The LSPN recorded on the claim must be current on the date of service (ie the registration must be active, not suspended or cancelled). In addition, Medicare benefits are only payable where there is equipment recorded for the site appropriate to the item claimed.

To maintain registration, practice sites are required to advise Medicare Australia about any changes to the site’s primary information within 28 days of the change occurring. Every 12 months Medicare Australia will write to practice sites and ask them to update their registration details. If a site fails to comply with this request their registration may be suspended for up to three months. Registration will be cancelled by Medicare Australia after a continuous period of three months suspension.

To apply for practice registration you must complete an LSPN Registration Form (see below). For further information on accreditation under the Diagnostic Imaging Accreditation Scheme please refer to LSPN Accreditation flyer [PDF, 24Kb]

Send your new registration form to:

Medicare Australia
GPO Box 9822
Perth WA 6847
Attn: Accreditation Section

Or fax your completed registration form to Medicare Australia on: (08) 9214 8201.

Completed LSPN declaration and Update details form should be mailed to the relevant state office, at the address below:

On receipt of a complete and accurate registration form, Medicare Australia will allocate an LSPN to the practice site and advise the site of their registration number in writing.

From 1 July 2003 the LSPN is required on all diagnostic imaging and radiation oncology patient accounts, receipts or bulk billing claims submitted to Medicare Australia for a Medicare benefit to be paid. Please note that the LSPN used for this purpose should relate to the registered practice site where the diagnostic imaging procedure or radiation oncology service is performed.

To update your equipment, as well as nominating a new authorised representative or amending business details or practice details please download the LSPN declaration and update details form.

The capital sensitivity rule covering all diagnostic imaging equipment

All services listed in the Diagnostic Imaging Services Table of the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS), excluding Positron Emission Tomography (PET) services, have two different rebates – K items (100% of the MBS Fee) and NK items (50% of the MBS Fee) for diagnostic imaging services provided on aged equipment.

This rule, known as ‘capital sensitivity’, applies to all diagnostic imaging equipment and is intended to improve the quality of diagnostic imaging services by encouraging providers to upgrade and replace as appropriate aged equipment.

Capital sensitivity from 1 July 2012

From 1 July 2012, there are no significant changes to the capital sensitivity arrangements. 

The Department of Human Services LSPN Register should now include all capital sensitivity information related to the age of all diagnostic imaging equipment and whether it has been upgraded (except CT and angiography).  Practices need to ensure their Location Specific Practice Number (LSPN) records for the purpose of Medicare eligibility are current and accurately identify the age of each piece of ultrasound, diagnostic radiology, nuclear medicine imaging (excluding PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) equipment. 

Practices are required by law to ensure their LSPN records with the department are current, accurate and complete.  Practices that do not provide this information may be subject to a formal request, which in the case of non-compliance, could result in Medicare benefits ceasing to be payable.

Full details about the capital sensitivity arrangements including the exemptions and the rules for claiming the K and NK items are available at the Department of Health and Ageing’s website at www.health.gov.au/capitalsensitivity  

Search LSPN Register

The LSPN Register lists registered practice sites and mobile facilities. This registration data is updated regularly to assist doctors in identifying registered practices eligible for Medicare benefits.

• Search the LSPN Register

LSPN forms

• Registration for a Location Specific Practice Number form [PDF, 306Kb]
• Request to amend Location Specific Practice Number form [PDF, 265Kb]
• Accreditation Advice for the Diagnostic Imaging Accreditation Scheme (DIAS) flyer [PDF, 53Kb]
• Accreditation Advice for the Diagnostic Imaging Accreditation Scheme (DIAS) flyer [RTF, 44Kb]

Contact us

If you need assistance or require a registration form contact Medicare Australia on 1800 620 589 toll free Monday to Friday, 07.30am to 5.00pm Western Standard Times or email lspn@medicareaustralia.gov.au

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Last updated: 12 April, 2013

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