INDUSTRY INFO: HeSA

Health eSignature Authority
www.hesa.gov.au

The Health eSignature Authority (HeSA) has been established by Medicare Australia to undertake the role of Registration Authority within the Australian healthcare sector and to facilitate the introduction of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), enabling the health sector to transmit information safely online.

The Health eSignature Authority receives applications from organisations and professionals within the Australian healthcare sector, authenticates the identity of the prospective Healthcare Location or Healthcare Individual User and submits requests to its Certification Authority for certificate issue.

What is PKI?

PKI is a trusted framework adopted by Australian Government to provide authentication and confidentiality for online transactions through the use of digital keys and certificates.

PKI is the security system that Medicare Australia is using to secure all its online systems. PKI will enable transmissions to be encrypted so that health information can be sent safely

PKI also allows transmissions to be electronically signed. These electronic signatures carry the same legal value as a written signature and therefore allow some transactions to be paperless, which means quicker and more accurate flow of important health information.

Source: Medicare Australia Health eSignature Authority's "Why Public Key Infrastructure?" document

Applying for Registration with the HeSA

To register as a Subscriber in the Health PKI you need to apply to Health eSignature Authority (HeSA). You will be required to submit contact details via the web based facility and to print, sign and return an Agreement along with Evidence of Identity documents to HeSA. This registration process through the web should not take more than five minutes.

ReferralNet implements the use of the Public Key Infrastructure to ensure safe and secure transmission of messages online.