The Medicare provider number
A provider number is what links you, as a practitioner, to a specific location for Medicare and health-fund claiming. The key thing to know: it's tied to where you practise, so you need a separate provider number for each site you bill from — every hospital, day surgery and consulting room. List every location you expect to work from early, because adding them takes time you won't have once lists are booked.
PRODA and HPOS, explained
Two acronyms do the heavy lifting behind Medicare claiming:
- PRODA (Provider Digital Access). Your secure, individual identity account with the government. It verifies who you are and is the login you'll use to reach the systems that matter. Set it up in your own name — it belongs to you, not the practice.
- HPOS (Health Professional Online Services). The portal you open through PRODA. It's where you apply for provider numbers, record the bank account Medicare pays into, and authorise the people who'll help run your billing.
Delegate authorisation — who can act for you
You don't have to lodge every claim yourself. Through HPOS you can authorise a delegate — your reception team or a billing partner — to act on your behalf. This is proper delegated access, not a shared password. It's the same mechanism a medical billing service uses to claim on your provider details while you stay responsible for what's claimed. If you're weighing that up, our guide on how Medicare & ECLIPSE billing works covers the claiming side.
The order that saves you weeks
Registrations depend on each other and several run on external timelines, so sequence matters:
- 1. Set up your PRODA account and verify your identity.
- 2. Apply for provider numbers through HPOS for every location.
- 3. Record banking details and register with DVA and the health funds.
- 4. Authorise your delegates and connect your billing so claims can flow from day one.
All of this sits inside the wider job of setting up a private surgical practice — credentialing, theatre access, referrers and the back office to run it.
Common questions
Do I need a separate provider number for each hospital?
Generally, yes. A Medicare provider number ties a practitioner to a specific practice location, so you need one for each site you bill from — each hospital, day surgery or consulting room. Adding a location later is straightforward, but it takes time, so it's worth mapping out every site you expect to work from up front.
What's the difference between PRODA and HPOS?
PRODA (Provider Digital Access) is the identity and login layer — a secure account that verifies who you are. HPOS (Health Professional Online Services) is the portal you reach through PRODA, where you apply for provider numbers, manage banking details and set up delegate access. In short: PRODA is the key, HPOS is the room.
Can my practice or a delegate lodge claims for me?
Yes. Through HPOS you can authorise a delegate — your own staff or a billing partner — to act on your behalf using delegated access rather than a shared login. You, the practitioner, remain responsible for every claim under the Health Insurance Act 1973, so the delegate processes what you direct and keeps an audit trail.