Diagnostic Imaging Accreditation Scheme

Background Information

The Department of Health (DoH) designed the Diagnostic Imaging Accreditation Scheme to be introduced in stages to provide practices opportunity to prepare for accreditation and to enable Medicare benefits to continue uninterrupted.

HDAA is an Approved Accreditor for both Stage I and Stage II of the scheme. This enables us to provide a smooth and easy transition for practices moving through the scheme with an experienced and knowledgeable team to support new practices entering the scheme at any stage.

Stage 1

Stage I of the Diagnostic Imaging Accreditation Scheme (the Scheme) was implemented in 2008 requiring practices providing radiology services to achieve accreditation over a two year period. Stage I of the Scheme did not include accreditation of non-radiology services.

Stage 2

The DIAS 2010 Standards were introduced July 2010 with the launch of Stage II. The scope of servics within the scheme became broader to include non-radiology services (such as cardiac ultrasound and angiography; obstetric and gynaecological ultrasound; and nuclear medicine imaging services) and the Standards to be meet have progressed.

In 2015, the DIAS Standards were revised. The focus of the 2015 standards has been to enhance the 2010 standards, rather than developing new ones. Both Entry Level and Full Suite accreditation are still available and has not changed the scope of DIAS.

Scope of DIAS

The scheme encompasses all diagnostic imaging services who provide Medicare funded services on the Diagnostic Imaging Services Table (DIST).

Services choosing not to become accredited (or who do not achieve accreditation) will not be eligible for Medicare funding. Practices must notify patients before providing diagnostic imaging services if the practice is not accredited and therefore that Medicare benefits are not payable.

Legislative framework

The Health Insurance Act 1973 (the Act) provides the legislative framework for the introduction and operation of the Diagnostic Imaging Accreditation Scheme for practices providing diagnostic imaging services under Medicare.

The Act allows the Minister for Health to establish through legislative instruments the rules governing the operation of the Scheme, including the organisations able to provide accreditation services, i.e. HDAA. In addition,
The Act prescribes a number of other matters including:

  • The circumstances governing the payment of Medicare benefits for diagnostic imaging services;
  • The type of rules the Scheme must include; such as, how practices must obtain and maintain accreditation and how accreditation decisions can be reconsidered; and
  • Offence provisions relating to a failure by a proprietor of a practice to notify patients that the practice is not accredited and a Medicare benefit is not payable before providing diagnostic imaging services.

The Act establishes the legislative framework for the Scheme, and other pieces of legislation also impact on the operation of the Scheme, including the:

  • Health Insurance Regulations 1975;
  • Health Insurance (Diagnostic Imaging Services Table) Regulations as amended from time to time;
  • Health Insurance (Diagnostic Imaging Accreditation) Instrument 2020; and
  • Health Insurance (Diagnostic Imaging Accreditation – Approved Accreditors) Instrument 2020.