Support for providers
For further details and support for those providers impacted by the cybercrime event.
What does this mean for you?
We apologise unreservedly to everyone affected by this crime.
For the majority of providers, the information we believe to have been accessed is publicly available information such as name, practice address and contact details, as well as provider number. For a smaller group of providers, additional information may have been accessed or stolen. We will be in contact with you soon to provide details of what this information is and advise on next steps.
We’ve worked with Services Australia to ensure appropriate preventative and monitoring measures are in place with regard to your payments. We are also contacting all health funds to update them of the latest developments and best actions to take.
Your health provider number
Services Australia has advised the following:
A Medicare provider number uniquely identifies both the provider and the place they work. These are publicly available numbers that are printed on health certificates, and patient referrals and invoices.
Please be assured a provider number is not enough information for a criminal to access Medicare records or claiming systems. These claiming systems include security measures to prevent unauthorised access.
As an additional measure of security, if providers need to update their bank account details, this can be done online through Health Professional Online Services (HPOS).
If you’re concerned that your provider number has been exposed, you don’t need to request a new provider number. If you suspect someone may be committing fraud against Medicare, you can report it on the Services Australia website.
Keeping you informed
We will provide regular updates as our investigation continues and information becomes available and verified.
As a precaution, we encourage you to be vigilant and review payment transactions with service providers such as health insurance funds and Services Australia. If you see anything unusual, please contact that service provider immediately.
If you feel you need extra support, please contact us to discuss.
If you are a victim of cybercrime you can report it at ReportCyber.
How we are supporting our customers
We have contacted all affected customers to let them know what data we believe has been accessed or stolen, and provided advice on what they should do. We’re providing regular updates, advice and support on our information page.