Bupa recognition criteria
Bupa has absolute discretion in granting recognition to any ancillary provider. Meeting the criteria below does not guarantee recognition. Bupa will exercise this discretion where required, on a case-by-case basis.
To attain Bupa recognition for the payment of benefits for the provision of hearing aids, you must be in private practice# at the location in which the services will be provided, and you must fulfil one of the following criteria outlined as options below:
#Private Practice means a health care practice operating on an independent and self-supporting basis either as a sole trader, partnership, corporate or group practice but is not subsidised by another party such as any type of publicly funded facility for the provision of accommodation, facilities or other services or practitioners. The provision of Treatment at a public hospital or any other type of publicly funded facility is not Treatment provided in Private Practice.
Provider numbers for this category are allocated by Medicare Australia.
Medicare Australia provides Bupa directly with details of provider numbers and relevant practice information.
For recognition of new practices or alterations to addresses of current practices, call the Medicare provider enquiry line on 132 150 or visit the Services Australia website.
Applicants must hold provider recognition for each address where they deliver hearing aid services. If you are unable to obtain a Medicare provider number for all practice addresses where you will be providing hearing aids to Bupa health insurance customers, please email the following to provopsancillary@bupa.com.au:
- Full Name
- Medicare Provider Number
- Address where Medicare Provider Number is registered
- Additional Addresses you wish to register with Bupa:
- Address Line 1
- Address Line 2
- Suburb
- State
- Postcode
- Email Address
- Contact Telephone Number
Provider numbers will generally be allocated by Bupa within 10 business days.
IMPORTANT: When issuing an invoice, you must use the correct provider number which corresponds to the address where hearing aids are provided to Bupa health insurance customers.
Applicants must hold provider recognition for each address where they deliver hearing aid services. Please email the following to provopsancillary@bupa.com.au:
- Full Name
- QP Number
- Address where QP Number is registered
- Additional Addresses you wish to register with Bupa:
- Address Line 1
- Address Line 2
- Suburb
- State
- Postcode
- Email Address
- Contact Telephone Number
Provider numbers will generally be allocated by Bupa within 10 business days.
IMPORTANT: When issuing an invoice, you must use the correct provider number which corresponds to the address where hearing aids are provided to Bupa health insurance customers.
If you do not have Medicare recognition or a Qualified Practitioner (QP) number, you may become Bupa recognised if you are a member of any of the following associations:
- Full membership with the Hearing Aid Audiology Society of Australia (HAASA)
- Full / ordinary membership with the Australian College of Audiology (ACAud) with competency in hearing aid dispensing; or
- Full membership with Audiology Australia
HAASA and ACAud members can contact their association to become Bupa recognised and must report all practice locations to their association. Once Bupa has allocated a provider number for each practice location requested, your association will communicate this to you on our behalf.
All other providers must complete an application form.
Provider numbers will generally be allocated by Bupa within 10 business days.
When issuing an invoice, you must use the correct provider number which corresponds to the address where hearing aids are provided to Bupa health insurance customers.
Providers who deliver online services must complete an application form to apply for a Bupa allocated provider number as an online hearing aid provider.
Online hearing aid providers must:
- Be Medicare recognised or hold a current Qualified Practitioner (QP) number or be a member of a Bupa recognised association (listed below):
- Full membership with the Hearing Aid Audiology Society of Australia (HAASA)
- Full / ordinary membership with the Australian College of Audiology (ACAud) with competency in hearing aid dispensing; or
- Full membership with Audiology Australia
- Agree to Bupa's Ancillary Provider Terms (PDF)
- Agree to the Compulsory Additional Requirements (PDF) for online hearing aid providers.
- Meet mandatory requirements (below)
Provider numbers will generally be allocated by Bupa within 10 business days.
When issuing an invoice, you must use the correct provider number which corresponds to the address where hearing aids are provided to Bupa health insurance customers.
Additional mandatory requirements
In addition to meeting one of the criteria above, each of the following requirements is mandatory:
- Australian Business Number (ABN)
- Public risk/liability insurance for an amount not less than $10,000,000 per claim covering liability owed to another person who suffers loss or damage by reason of the audiologist's or audiometrist's acts or omissions
- Product liability insurance for an amount not less than $5,000,000 per claim covering any damage or personal injury to any person, arising from any negligence or other defect in respect to any items acquired and dispensed by the audiologist or audiometrist
- Professional indemnity insurance to an amount not less than $1,000,000 per claim.
Applicants must hold provider recognition for each address where they deliver hearing aid services. Your provider number must appear on patient invoices, and claims will only be processed where the invoice address and provider number address match.
Providers must:
- Meet and continue to meet our recognition criteria
- Agree to Bupa's Ancillary Provider Terms (PDF)
- Agree to the Compulsory Additional Requirements (PDF) for online hearing aid providers (if they are recognised with Bupa as online hearing aid providers).