Register practice for a Location Specific Practice Number (LSPN) for Medicare 012-41040010

Open the Medicare Portal from the Services Australia intranet page:

In the Medicare - eBusiness Gateway screen select from the dropdown lists:

• the relevant Source Office, and
• Provider Directory System (PDS) as the eBusiness System

The PDS home page displays. From the left-hand side menu, select:

• Organisation, and
• Create

• Select the Detailed Search tab
• Search using the street name, locality and postcode fields
• Make sure type is selected as Diagnostic Imaging to filter out other organisation types appearing on the search results

Note: in the Street name field, do not include the street number or the postfix (such as road, rd, street, st). For example, if searching for 123 Smith Street, only input ‘Smith’ in the Street name field.

• Scroll through results until the end
• Check for locations that match the details on the application by comparing both practice name and address

Check the results returned by PDS.

If there are no listed locations on PDS matching the street address on the application form, process the application, go to Step 6.

If results return with a duplicate street address, check these records to confirm:

• if the record has current registration or it has expired, and
• the status

For records that have current registration:

• If the address details show it is the same location as an existing LSPN record:
  • with the same business information - the application should be refused
  • with different business information - escalate the application to the Provider and Engagement Service Delivery Support Team (PESDST) so the Pathology and Diagnostic Imaging Team can further investigate to determine if the request can be processed
• For requests for the same street address but different location within the address of an existing LSPN (for example, room or floor number):
  • the application can only be processed if the business information provided on the form is different to the existing registration
  • if the request is for the same business, escalate the application to PESDST. The Pathology and Diagnostic Imaging Team will consider if another registration is appropriate

For records with an expired registration and blank or suspended status:

• If the business information is the same as the existing record, escalate the application to PESDST to consider if the application has been correctly completed
• If the business information is different to the existing record, the application can be processed

With an expired registration and closed status:

• the application can be processed

With an expired registration and cancelled status:

• the application must be escalated to PESDST for consideration by the Pathology and Diagnostic Imaging Team
• leave the comment in PaNDA ‘cannot process the application because the LSPN is for a cancelled location’
• use the Send for Delegation option in PaNDA to escalate the request to PESDST

Note: if the following comment is recorded in PDS on a cancelled LSPN, a new LSPN registration can be processed without any need to escalate the application:

Approval granted by EL2 to allow practice to re-register at the same premises within 12 months from cancellation, under a new LSPN record.

If there is doubt if an application is a duplicate or can be processed, escalate to PESDST.

Select Create New Organisation button.

On the Organisation tab, enter in the following details:

• Type - select Diagnostic Imaging
• Mobile base - yes or no, see Question 7 on the form
• Start Date - enter the date a complete LSPN form was received by the agency or a future date if specified by the practice.
  Note: if the application is for a relocation, see the Background page for more information
• End Date - this field will be automatically populated based on the start date
• Trading Name - enter details as per application
• ABN - enter details as per application
• Registered Business Name - displays the entity name based on the Australian Business Number (ABN). PDS validates this information against the Australian Business Register (ABR)

If the Registered Business details which populate in PDS when the ABN is keyed do not match the details in Question 10 of the application form, check the information in ABN Lookup. You can accept the details if either the:

• entity name, or
• a registered business name is provided

Return the application if:

• the practice or trading name has been provided at Question 10, or
• the information at Question 10 is not the entity name or the registered business name as per the ABN Lookup

Note: PDS will show the entity name in the Registered Business Name field when the ABN is keyed.

• Business Type - select from drop down list as per application details
  • If a government agency/public body and an ABN is provided, record the ABN details in the comments
• Premises Type - select from drop down list as per application (Q19)
  • If responses do not match with response at Q7, the application can be returned as there has been an error identified with the application
• Site Type - select from drop down list as per application (Q20-22)
• Details - needed if Site Type selected is Other
• Enter either Proprietor Details, Company Details or Partnership details. Relevant fields will appear depending on the Business Type selected

Note: for partnerships, if the ACN does not match the name provided, pend the work item in PaNDA and escalate to PESDST via LPS for consideration of the Pathology and Diagnostic Imaging Team.

If proprietor or partner details are provided, but PDS does not provide a field for them to be entered:

• go to the Comments tab
• select Add comment
  • for proprietor enter Proprietor: <proprietor name>
  • for a partner enter Partner: <partner name>

Physical address

• On the Physical Address tab:
  • enter registered address as per Q23 Practice location details on the application
• The Remote Area Exemption defaults to No

Contact

On the Contact tab, enter:

• first contact details as per Question 24-26 of the application
• second contact details as per Question 28-30 of the application
• postal address as per Question 32 of the application

Where possible, if the address matches, enter the physical and postal address using Rapid Addressing.

Note: when no authorised contact details have been provided for an Individual Business Type, enter the owner/proprietor’s details in the authorised contact section.

Associates - do not process before delegate approval.

Note: if the Associate's details do not match the details on the application, create the LSPN record and send a Z2374 letter advising the details are not correct.

MRI Provider

If Question 40 has been completed:

• see Amend Location Specific Practice Number (LSPN) register for Medicare for processing instructions

For Mobile Proprietors only:

• select Mobile Proprietor’s details tab
• enter Mobile Equipment Proprietor Address details as per Question 33 on the application

On the Equipment tab:

• select Add Equipment
• complete details in the Add Equipment modal
  • select the equipment code
  • enter supplied equipment details into the appropriate fields
  • the date operational at site will be date operational at premises on the form (only applicable if adding equipment from a future date). If it is blank, it will be the date the application was received
  • select Add

For MRI equipment, if a request is received for an:

• ineligible MRI (MR4), the equipment can be added
• eligible MRI (MR1), before adding the equipment, see Table 1 > Step 16 in Eligibility and Location Specific Practice Number (LSPN) practice registration for Diagnostic Imaging (DI) and Radiation Oncology (RO) for assessing instructions

Note: at least one piece of equipment is needed to register a practice and be issued an LSPN record. If multiple pieces of equipment are listed on the application form, make a note of any equipment that cannot be listed. Send the practice a Z2374 letter when sending the Z0751 confirmation letter.

Repeat these steps for all equipment listed on the application. Questions 34-39 relate to adding equipment.

The Upgrade Details field does not need to be completed. If applicable, only the Upgrade Indicator and Date Upgraded needs to be completed.

For Providers of MRI Services, see Amend Location Specific Practice Number (LSPN) register for Medicare.

When adding equipment and a message displays stating the equipment is also recorded at a different location:

• Check the equipment details to make sure it is entered correctly
• Note the LSPN record the serial number is currently recorded against
• Check the work on hand (in PaNDA) for a form requesting to change the practice location for the LSPN record. The same piece of equipment cannot be listed in more than one LSPN record at the same time, that is, with the same operational period
• Check the LSPN Register where the equipment is listed to see if it has been removed. If so, check the date of removal and add the equipment the day after the removal date, otherwise an error will appear advising that the equipment already exists on another LSPN record

Is a pending request to remove the equipment from the original LSPN record present?

• Yes, retrieve the form and process the request. This allows the finalisation of the original application
• No, when equipment cannot be listed because it is currently listed on another LSPN record, return the application as incomplete and advise the reason for returning the application

Once all details have been entered:

• Select Validate
• Work through any errors
• Select Save

Note: information message 0342 will display advising that the DPID was not found. If this message displays, check the address details are correct.

If the information is:

• correct, no action is needed. Save the record and seek delegate approval. Go to Step 12
• incorrect, correct the address before saving and proceeding

• Select the letter template (Z0751) - Registration of your diagnostic imaging or radiation oncology practice
• Upload the letter as a PDF version to the PaNDA file
• Add processing comments on PDS and/or PaNDA
• Send letter to delegate for approval via PaNDA

Was the application approved by the delegate?

• Yes, go to Step 13
• No, go to Step 15

If Questions 27 and/or 31 have been completed on the Associates tab

• Select the Add Associate button
• in the Add Associate modal, select Administrator from the dropdown list
• complete details as per the application
• select Add

Note: if the Associate’s name does not match the details on the application, do not add as an associate. Send a Z2374 letter advising the details are not correct.

Once the work item has been returned with delegate approval:

• file the application as Completed Request Approved
• send the original letter that has been approved by the delegate to the authorised representative

Note: if the form was submitted by HPOS, it can be identified with an HPOS reference number. Send the correspondence back to the applicant via HPOS. Selecting the Open HPOS logo (top right corner of PaNDA) will go directly to the HPOS file.

For more details, see Health Professional Online Services (HPOS) Support Mail Centre.

Procedure ends here.

If the Service Officer recommends approval and creates a new LSPN, but the delegate decides the application cannot be approved, they:

• leave a comment in PDS advising of their decision
• change:
  • end date to one day after the start date
  • status to Closed
  • practice/trading name to Issued in error
  • physical and mailing address to the Medicare Provider Registration support address
  • equipment serial number(s) to issued in error
• leave a note in PaNDA advising that the application is to be refused (and reasons for the refusal)
• return the Work Item to the staff who processed the record so a refusal letter can be sent

When staff receive the work item back from the delegate, they:

• create and upload the refusal letter
• send the application back for delegate approval via the send for delegation function in PaNDA

If satisfied with the refusal letter, the delegate returns the application and staff:

• send the letter to the applicant
• save a comment advising that the letter was sent
• complete the work item

For the refusal process where there is a standard refusal recommendation by a Service Officer, see Eligibility and Location Specific Practice Number (LSPN) practice registration for Diagnostic Imaging (DI) and Radiation Oncology (RO).

Note: if a staff member is on leave, their Team Leader should allocate the work item to another staff member in the team to avoid delays in processing.