Prepare your practice - digital health and aged care channels are being upgraded

In March 2022, Services Australia is upgrading the technology used by practice management software (PMS) to connect to digital health services such as Medicare Online and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) online.

What is web services?

Web services is a technology that enables secure communication between web enabled devices. Currently, Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is being used for authentication of the following web compatible services:

• Medicare Online including Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA)

• Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) online
• Australian Immunisation Register (AIR)
• ECLIPSE
• Aged Care Web Services

From 13 March 2022, these web services will use a new verification and authentication system called PRODA, not PKI, for authentication.

Why Services Australia is moving to web services

Our digital health and aged care channels currently use adaptor technology. Updating to web services will ensure that Services Australia is providing digital claiming and data channels that:

• are both more secure and stable, now and into the future
• meet current technology standards
• are easier to update and improve.
  

Benefits of web services

Web services is flexible and easier to update and maintain than the current adaptor technology. This means it’s easy to use across multiple operating systems, such as Windows and Mac OS.

It allows for future enhancements to be made. These will improve functionality across some digital health and aged care channels.

To find out more about this transition please visit the Services Australia website.

Download resources to help you prepare for the change to web services.