the knowledge platform

19ab + dpa + provider numbers: the medicare reality for imgs

a clinician-friendly explanation of medicare access restrictions for imgs, why there is no backdating, and how dpa/location rules shape job strategy.

The Bottom Line

  • If you’re subject to section 19AB restrictions, Medicare access can determine where you can work (particularly for GP/private billing contexts).
  • Official guidance emphasises: you must hold the right provider number/exemption before providing services that attract Medicare rebates — and exemptions are not backdated.
  • Use the Health Workforce Locator to check DPA classifications and plan your job search accordingly.
Many Australia-bound IMGs underestimate this because it sits *outside* the clinical/registration narrative. Registration lets you practise; **Medicare access** can determine whether a role is commercially viable (especially in primary care/private billing models). If you discover this late, you can end up with a job offer that looks good on paper but is operationally blocked.

Non-negotiable: no backdating

Australian Government guidance highlights that you must have the correct provider number / 19AB exemption **before** providing services that attract Medicare rebates — and that exemptions cannot be backdated. Practical implication: do not start a role on the assumption “we’ll sort Medicare after you arrive”. Build the admin into your start-date planning.