The latest Hearing Services Program Provider Self Assessment Report has highlighted recurring compliance issues faced by service providers delivering the program.
The Federal Government report, released in March 2024, included 333 service providers who were mandated to submit a SAT in 2023 and revealed 97.6% of providers felt the SAT assisted them to comply with program requirements.
Approximately 51.7% identified one or more issues requiring follow-up, including deficiencies in records management, completion of practitioner confirmations, disclosure of device supply arrangements, and incorrect practitioner listings.
The report also found while 98.5% of providers have a written device supply arrangements disclosure, many reported they provide this to clients with other provider information “at the first appointment” or “on request” and, in some instances, provide this “verbally”.
Provide disclosure in writing
“Please note that this disclosure must be provided to all clients in writing every time a device is discussed (before every fitting, refit, replacement, or spare device). This requirement applies even if a provider has no preferred supplier arrangements,” the report stated.
Additionally, some providers – including some storing all records electronically – reported printing and posting electronic records to a new provider.
The report stated all documents that are created electronically or are scanned into a provider’s system after completion by a client, must remain in electronic format and be sent to a new provider in electronic format.
Finally, more than 25% of providers reported practitioner changes through the practitioner confirmation section of the SAT. About 33% of these were outside the five working days required under the contract, with some up to five years old.
Providers were reminded to “update the information held in the portal, including qualified practitioner information, within five working days of any change”.
Qualified practitioner requirements
Meanwhile, a notice issued by the Hearing Services Program, has reminded providers to ensure that only qualified practitioners (QPs) deliver or supervise services to program clients.
Providers are urged to ensure that QPs possess current financial membership in an approved category with a Practitioner Professional Body (PPB) at the time of service delivery. Failure to adhere to this requirement may result in reimbursement obligations for claims where the QP lacked current membership status.
List of approved membership categories by PPB
PPB | Approved membership categories |
Audiology Australia |
|
Australian College of Audiology |
|
Hearing Aid Audiology Society of Australia |
|
Providers must ensure:
- only QPs, or provisional practitioners/students supervised by a QP, deliver services to program clients
- only QPs in an approved membership category of a PPB have an active QP number
- QP numbers are not issued to students and provisional practitioners
- when registering a new QP number, the name details match the name listed with the PPB and must be the correct qualification and PPB/s
- a new QP link is established in the portal for each employment period the QP works for the business
- an end date is entered for a QP linked to their business when they cease working for the business or stop delivering services to program clients
- provisional practitioners/students are supervised as per PPB requirements
- claims include the QP number of the practitioner who delivered or supervised the service
- the full name of the practitioner who delivered or supervised the service is recorded on the client record
- current QP PPB membership certificates are on display where required by the PPB
- QP evidence, including membership certificates and supervision logs, are available for a minimum of seven years.
More information about Hearing Services Program practitioner requirements can be found here. https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/hearing-services-program/providing-services/practitioner-requirements
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