Pro Medicus Eligible for Over $500,000 in
Government HIC Incentives

Leading e-health company Pro Medicus (ASX:PME) announced today its Practice
Management software is the first to be approved by the Health Insurance Commission (HIC) for use with HIC Online version 3.0, the latest version of the government electronic payment system which incorporates the new Medicare safety net.

Pro Medicus estimates it will be eligible for more than $500,000 of Government funded incentives in this financial year for connecting its clients to HIC Online and an additional $100,000 in the following year for maintaining the service.
Version 3.0 will allow radiology providers to electronically process claims on behalf of patients at the time of consultation. A key benefit of the new system is that patients who become eligible for the new Medicare safety net will automatically receive a significantly higher rebate that covers 80% of the difference between the charged fee and the scheduled fee for the service. This will result in significantly lower out of pocket expenses for patients, which is particularly important in radiology where the cost of examinations is generally higher than those for GP visits.

“Being the first software provider to integrate HIC Online Version 3.0 will provide our clients with a very significant strategic advantage over those using other systems,” said Dr Sam Hupert. “Not only will this technology significantly improve cash flow by simplifying direct Medicare claiming with the HIC, it will also be a major catalyst in reducing outstanding accounts. Patients will be more inclined to pay at the time of consultation knowing that the HIC Medicare rebate will be electronically lodged in their bank account.”

Another key feature of the Pro Medicus HIC Online implementation is that, unlike other vendors who developed standalone offerings aimed at the single site GP market, the Pro Medicus implementation has been designed to scale to an enterprise level.

"We have worked very closely with the HIC in order to formulate a model that will allow our large radiology clients to avail themselves of this technology,” said Dr Sam Hupert. “Key requirements were the ability to remotely deploy and support this product across a large number of sites whilst still maintaining the necessary government security and encryption that is an inherent part of HIC Online.”

Whilst the majority of the revenue from this project will be realised in the current financial year, all development costs have been fully expensed in the prior financial period.

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