Medicare and the Midwife

The journey to obtaining Medicare Provider number has been an interesting one..... Now to learn all the things I need to know about what and how I can claim......
The Medicare provider number is a unique number issued by Medicare Australia to registered health professionals. They are also used to identify health professionals. As a health professional you need a provider number for each location you work..... Therefore I have two... one for the office and my home is the other one.
Currently a midwife can use the provider number to refer to a specialist or for pathology and diagnostic imaging, once we have done the required course in pharmacology then we will be able to also prescribe......
A provider number does not necessarily mean you can attract Medicare benefits for the services you provide.
Before a health professional can attract a Medicare benefit, they must satisfy legislative requirements set out in the Health Insurance Act 1973 which for midwives is the Determination – see Midwife Reform Legislation Fact Sheet.
Medicare has a great online service which makes it easier for you to do business with Medicare Australia; It will make claiming and downloading forms much easier.....also online e-learning, I just completed a couple of e-learning packages.. can't wait for the prescribing course.... one would think that this would of been in place already.
I think it is great that women will be able to claim for midwifery services.... it is long overdue....