Bulk billing services
Since1 July 2026, assignment of benefit agreements can be created in 2 ways:
- Episodically: An agreement is completed for each service using an episodic pre- or post-assignment of benefit agreement.
- Enduring: A one off agreement is completed and applied to future GP services. This option is available to:
- MyMedicare-registered patients
- patients of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHS) and Aboriginal Medical Services (AMS)
- residents in Residential Aged Care Homes (RACHs).
Healthcare providers will need to:
- Create a written agreement: Complete a written agreement before asking for a signature. It can include multiple MBS items from the same provider.
- Get consent: Ask the patient or person paying (the ‘assignor’) to sign either physically or electronically. You can record verbal consent by noting the “assignor verbally agreed” (or similar) in place of a signature. Use of verbal assignment is a 12-month temporary provision until 30 June 2027.
- Record-keeping: Keep copies of completed agreements for 2 years and give a copy to the patient if requested.
- Post service notifications: For MyMedicare patients with an enduring agreement, provide the assignor with a post-service notification after each bulk-billed claim.
To prepare, practices should:
- review current bulk billing consent processes
- discuss digital assignment of benefits options with practice software vendors. Services Australia is also working with software vendors to support them with the updated requirements
- decide whether to use paper, digital, or both
- update record-keeping processes
- train front desk and billing staff.
No specific agreement form is required. Healthcare providers can create their own if it meets the requirements specified in regulations or use templates available from Services Australia or from us.
Health provider compliance
We will continue to work with stakeholders about these changes.
Once regulatory changes are finalised, our compliance activities will be consistent with the department’s health provider compliance strategy.
The department will prioritise prevention and education as practitioners work towards adopting new assignment of benefit requirements – within a risk-based approach to its ongoing compliance efforts.
We appreciate your ongoing commitment and welcome any questions or feedback.
