Distribution Priority Areas, Section 19AB and Medicare Provider Numbers
Information current as at October 2026. Rules, fees and lists change often, so check your own circumstances with us before you act.
Registration and a visa let you work as a doctor in Australia. Billing Medicare is a third, separate question, and it shapes where many overseas-trained doctors can practise. If you plan to work in general practice or private specialist practice, you need to understand section 19AB of the Health Insurance Act, the 10-year moratorium and Distribution Priority Areas (DPAs) before you sign a contract.
One thing that has gone: Health Workforce Certificates are no longer required for employer sponsored visa nominations. The requirement was abolished on 16 September 2023. Older guides that tell you to obtain one before your 482 nomination are out of date.
The key terms
| Term | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Medicare provider number | A number issued by Services Australia for each location where you practise. You need one to provide services that attract a Medicare rebate, and to refer and request. |
| Section 19AA | Doctors generally need recognition as a specialist or GP, or a place on an approved training or workforce program, to provide Medicare rebatable services. |
| Section 19AB | Restricts overseas-trained doctors (and some foreign graduates of Australian medical schools) from billing Medicare unless they work in an eligible location or hold an exemption. |
| 10-year moratorium | The period during which section 19AB applies. It can be shortened through scaling for rural and remote work or some workforce schemes. |
| Distribution Priority Area (DPA) | A location classified as having a shortage of doctors. Doctors subject to section 19AB can generally bill Medicare in a DPA. |
| Health Workforce Locator | The government map that shows the current DPA status for each location. Always check it for the exact practice address. |
How DPA status is decided
For general practice, DPA classifications are based on the Modified Monash Model (MM) and a service benchmark:
- Locations classified MM 2 to MM 7 (regional, rural and remote areas) and all of the Northern Territory are DPAs for general practice.
- Metropolitan (MM 1) locations can be DPAs if access to GP services falls below the benchmark, taking into account Medicare-billed services, population demographics and socio-economic status.
- Classifications are reviewed periodically. The most recent annual update was released in March 2025 and took effect in April 2025; no annual update was released in July 2026. A location can gain or lose DPA status at an update.
- Outer metropolitan practices can ask for an exceptional circumstances review in limited situations.
Rules differ for specialists other than GPs, so check the classification that applies to your specialty and the exact practice location. Many specialist roles in public hospitals are salaried and do not involve billing Medicare in your own name, but private practice rights in those roles may.
Exemptions from section 19AB
If a location is not a DPA, an exemption may still allow you to bill Medicare there. Select a type to see when it can apply.
- Locum: covering for up to six months at a practice where you have not previously provided services.
- After hours: services between 6pm and 8am on weekdays, and at any time on weekends and public holidays.
Getting your Medicare provider number: step by step
How this affects your visa and career plan
- Your employer’s nomination for a 482 or 186 does not need a Health Workforce Certificate, but the job only works financially if you can bill where the practice is located. Ask the practice to confirm DPA status in writing.
- Permanent residence does not end section 19AB by itself. The moratorium continues until it ends or is reduced by scaling.
- Working in rural and remote locations both reduces the moratorium through scaling and often supports regional visa pathways. See regional options: 494, 191 and DAMA.
- Each new practice location needs its own provider number, so moving clinics means a new application.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Health Workforce Certificate for my 482 nomination?
No. The Health Workforce Certificate requirement for employer sponsored nominations was abolished on 16 September 2023.
Does section 19AB apply to me if I trained in the UK?
Generally yes. Section 19AB applies to doctors whose primary medical qualification is from outside Australia and New Zealand, regardless of the country, unless an exception applies.
When does my 10-year moratorium end?
It depends on your registration and residence history and any scaling credits. You can check your moratorium details with Services Australia, and we can help you work out how a planned move affects it.
Can I work in a city practice?
Only if that location is a DPA for your type of practice, or you hold an exemption, while section 19AB applies to you. Some outer metropolitan areas are DPAs for general practice.
Do I need a provider number to work in a public hospital?
Many salaried public hospital roles do not involve billing Medicare in your own name, but you may need a provider number for referrals, requests or private patients. Your hospital will tell you what it needs.
Can my practice lose DPA status after I start?
Classifications can change at an update. If the practice you are joining is near a DPA boundary, ask the practice how a change would affect your provider number, and get advice before you sign.
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