Update - 26 June 2026
The Australian Government and Department of Health, Disability and Ageing have listened to concerns raised by stakeholders about the amended Medicare assignment of benefit legislative requirements that will take effect on 1 July 2026. While there will be greater flexibility in how health providers can obtain patient consent for bulk billed services, the department recognises this is a significant change for many.
In response, regulatory amendments will be made to support a 12-month transition period. This includes enabling verbal assignment of benefit for all bulk billed patients, in all settings.
These regulatory amendments are being progressed as a priority. The Department will also use the 12-month transition period to explore other regulatory and legislative options to further reduce the administrative burden on both GP practices and patients while ensuring the integrity of Medicare is maintained.
Review the full update on the Department website.
Changes to start from 1 July 2026
The Australian Government has not made any new laws introducing signature requirements for patients to access bulk billing under Medicare. It has been a longstanding requirement under the Act that for bulk billing to occur, a patient (or another person on behalf of a patient as appropriate) must assign their Medicare benefit to the provider in exchange for not incurring any out-of-pocket costs.
See below for the changes that must occur during this 12-month transition process.
When the amendments come into effect in June 2027:
- Verbal AoB will no longer be available.
- Patients will be able to assign a benefit before (episodic pre-service assignment) or after a service (episodic post-service assignment) is received, so long as patient agreement is made prior to an MBS claim being lodged.
- Practitioners, billing agents, and private health insurers will no longer need to use an ‘approved form’, so long as agreements include the information required for each type of episodic agreement, as set out in subsection 65C(4) of the Health Insurance Amendment (Assignment of Medicare Benefits and Other Measures) Regulations 2025 (the ‘data set’).
- Minimum Data Set
Pre-Assignment | Post-Assignment |
Patient name | Patient name |
Date of assignment | Date of assignment |
Assignment type (pre-assignment) | Assignment type (post-assignment) |
Is the assignor the patient (yes/no)* | Is the assignor the patient (yes/no)* |
Details of the professional | Details of the professional |
Date of service | Date of service |
Basic service description^ | MBS Items |
Notes:
*While currently not mandatory, for auditing purposes it’s recommended to include the details of the assignor, if not the patient.
^Basic service descriptions will be published on MBS and updated quarterly.
- Practitioners will no longer need to sign the agreement.
- An electronic or physical signature will be required from the patient or responsible person on an AoB agreement. The signature must be identifiable, auditable, and compliant with the Electronic Transaction Act 1999.
- Practitioners will be required to keep a copy of the completed AoB agreements for two years and must provide a copy to the patient upon request.
Modernising this process aims to:
- Make it easier for healthcare providers to file accurate Medicare claims
- Increase the use of electronic signatures
- Improve automation and integration with practice and hospital software
- Safeguard the integrity of Medicare payments
- Improve record keeping
- Enhance patient awareness and improve the experience of bulk billing and simplified billing
- Digitise and automate manual and paper-based processes.
Familiarise yourself with the FAQ documents produced by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (DoHA).
- Consider how pre- and/or post-assignment will integrate into your workflows.
- Contact your software provider to find out how they are preparing and can support digital integration.
- Communicate upcoming AoB changes and its impact on workflows to staff (i.e. staff meetings, information in common areas, email communication).
- Communicate with your patient abouts the upcoming modernized AoB process (i.e. website updates, waiting room information, SMS notifications, email blasts etc.)
Helpful Links
- For enquiries or further details regarding the Assignment of Benefit (AoB), please reach out to: AssignmentofBenefit@health.gov.au
If you would like support in establishing efficient workflows or guidance on patient communication, please contact our Primary Care Delivery Team at support@wentwest.com.au or 02 8811 7117