How to become a Credentialled Nuclear Medicine Specialist

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What is Credentialling?

Payment of Medicare benefits within Australia for nuclear medicine and PET imaging services is limited to specialists or consultant physicians who are credentialled by the Committee for Joint College Training (CJCT) of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR).

The scheme was developed by the profession in consultation with Government to ensure that specialists in nuclear medicine are appropriately trained and licensed, provide appropriate supervision of procedures and are involved in ongoing continuing medical education.

“Credentialling” is the process of gathering all of the documentation needed to provide to Medicare to become a “Credentialed Nuclear Medicine Specialist”.

If a Nuclear Medicine Specialist does not need to use the Medicare benefit numbers within nuclear imaging services, the Nuclear Medicine Specialist does NOT need to undertake Credentialling.

Overseas Trained Physicians should contact AANMS for more information , as some of the forms may be different for your Credentialling Process.

The Credentialling Process

The following diagram highlights the key stages of the Credentialling Process, while the rest of this page goes into detail about each of these stages.  Links to websites/forms and estimated timelines are provided as a guide and are checked periodically by AANMS (current update Sept 2024).  However, it is your responsibility to ensure that you are using the correct forms, and it is encouraged that you speak to each organisation to determine the most relevant turnaround times for your submission.

The majority of the Credentialling Process is undertaken by the Trainee, however RACP, RANZCR and AANMS play a part too.

Step 1: Fellowship

RACP Fellowship/RANZCR Completion

Congratulations on nearing the end of, or completing your, Advanced Training in Nuclear Medicine. To be eligible for credentialling, you must supply evidence that you have completed Advanced Training. Completion of training for all trainees (and admission to Fellowship for RACP Trainees) will be processed only when all training requirements of Advanced Training in Nuclear Medicine are complete.

  • If you are nearing the completion of training time (this will differ for each trainee, but usually occurs in Oct/Nov after CAP Assignment 2 & BSC Exam results), contact RACP to check if you have any outstanding requirements.
  • Please note that any/all outstanding fees for RACP and/or RANZCR must be paid in full.
  • Once all requirements are complete, it will typically take RACP 1-3 weeks to process your completion of training. You will be advised if the process is likely to take any longer.  Once assessed:
    • RACP Trainees:  Will receive an email from RACP confirming their recommendation to Fellowship, and once granted, will receive their RACP Fellowship letter/certificate and a copy of their “Completion of Training” letter from RACP.
    • RANZCR Trainees:  Will receive an email with their “Completion of Training” letter from RACP. They are recommended to reach out to RANZCR to discuss RANZCR Fellowship process. RANZCR Trainees are not admitted to Fellowship of the RACP upon completion of Advanced Training in Nuclear Medicine.

For questions about the Advanced Training in Nuclear Medicine Program, RACP Fellowship or the “Completion of Training” letter, please reach out to RACP.

For questions about RANZCR Fellowship, please reach out to RANZCR.

Step 2: Sourcing of Credentials

Now that you have your “Confirmation of Completion of Nuclear Medicine Training” and your Fellowship Certificate & Letter, you can start to gather all of the following credentialed evidence needed to become a Credentialled Nuclear Medicine Specialist.

This stage can take 2-8 weeks, dependent on each organisation’s working times.  Be conscious of delays over Christmas and New Year, and that this is often the peak processing times for these organisations.

If you have any issues/rejections during this process, it’s best to reach out to either AHRA or Medicare first to determine the issue, and then RACP and/or RANZCR to assist.

You are required to have AHPRA registration as a consultant physician or specialist (radiologist) in Nuclear Medicine.

FORM: Applying for Registration and Graduate Registration (online), Application for specialist registration for a medical practitioner currently holding general and or specialist registration ASPC-30

NEED:  Fellowship Certificate/Letter & Completion Letter (these will need to be certified), ID documents, Criminal History Checks, Curriculum Vitae and other documents.

FEE & SUBMISSION:  $506 and submit online (refer to details on last page of the form).

TIMING:  If you have successfully submitted all relevant documentation, AHPRA aims to complete your application within 2 weeks.  However, you can commence this process up to three months before you are expected to complete all of your course requirements.

OUTCOME: AHPRA will provide a dated confirmation letter advising acceptance (and AHPRA Registration Number) or rejection of the application.

WHY:  Provider and Prescriber Numbers are required to claim under the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).  If you already have an active Provider/Prescriber Number for a current location that you practice Nuclear Medicine at, please use this number within your Medicare Recognition application and Credentialling Form.  If you need a new number for a new location, please complete the below form.

WHAT:  Provider and Prescriber Numbers, Additional Provider Numbers & Form HW019 – a separate application is required for each location you work at.  Can also be managed through HPOS/PRODA.

NEED:  Fellowship Letter/Certificate, Completion Letter, AHPRA Registration Number, ID documents, and other documents.

TIMING:  The application will be processed within 2-4 weeks.

FEE:  None

OUTCOME:  Medicare will provide a confirmation letter advising the provider number, location and start date.

WHY: Medicare recognition as a specialist or consultant physician is required if you want to provide services to private patients that attract Medicare Benefits at the specialist or consultant physician rates.

WHAT: Application for recognition as a specialist or consultant physician form (HW077)

NEED:  An active Medicare Provider Number for a location that you practice Nuclear Medicine at, Fellowship Certificate/Letter, Completion Letter, AHPRA Registration Number, ID documents, and other documents.

WHEN: Processed within 28 days of submission.    If you are submitting an application for a new Medicare Provider Number, these forms can be submitted and processed both together.

FEE:  None

OUTCOME: Medicare will provide a dated confirmation letter advising acceptance or rejection of the application.

WHY:  Nuclear Medicine Specialists must apply for, or vary, an existing “use licence” in relation to the use of unsealed radioactive material used in nuclear medicine and/or a computed tomography (CT) unit for attenuation correction and organ localisation.

WHAT: Each Australian state/territory has their own licensing body and application form.  All states, except for QLD fall under the Automatic Mutual Recognition Scheme (AMRS), which means your licence from one state will apply if you work in another state:

NEED:  Fellowship Letter, Completion Letter, AHPRA Registration Number, ID documents, and other documents as required by each state.

WHEN:  Dependent on each organisation, between 2-4 weeks.

FEE:  Yes – Refer to each organisation

OUTCOME:  The organisation should provide a dated confirmation letter advising acceptance or rejection of the application.

Step 3: Credentialling

Once you have all of the outcome letters/notifications credentialled from the above organisations:

  1. Complete the “Credentialling Form – Aussie NM and PET” form.  Overseas Trained Specialists should contact AANMS for more information.
  2. Pay the application fee of $110 and include proof of payment (details within the form)
  3. Package all of the above credentialed documents – include your name and document type within the file name.
  4. Email all of the above to education@aanms.org.au

What happens next:

  • AANMS processes your application and advise Medicare that you can be deemed a “Credentialed Nuclear Medicine Specialist” and will send you a letter confirming your Credentialled status (up to 1 week).
  • Medicare will update your details so that you can use the Nuclear Medicine benefit numbers (up to 2 weeks).
  • If you do not see any changes within Medicare within 2 weeks, please reach out to them directly, either via HPOS or Call

Step 4: PET Statutory Declaration

To be eligible to perform Positron Emission Tomography (PET) services, a provider must complete a statutory declaration that lists the provider number and Location Specific Practice Number (LSPN) of the diagnostic imaging practice.  A separate Stat Dec is required for EVERY PET location you work at.

WHY: To be recognised as a PET specialist and to bill or claim MBS items for any PET services.  A separate PET Stat Dec form is required for every PET location you work at.

WHAT: Positron emission tomography – statutory declaration form (HW064) , Claim Medicare benefits using your Location Specific Practice Number (LSPN)

NEED:  Credentialling to be completed, Medicare Provider Number for that location.

WHEN: Processed within 2-4 weeks

FEE:  None

OUTCOME: Medicare will provide a dated confirmation letter advising acceptance or rejection of the application.