Bulk billing services
When your service is bulk billed, you will sign an agreement so Medicare can pay your healthcare provider directly.
You can sign before or after your appointment, either electronically or on paper. You can also give your agreement verbally, for your healthcare provider to record it.
This does not change how bulk billing works. If your service is bulk billed, you still pay nothing out of pocket.
Since 1 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 can be offered to:
- MyMedicare-registered patients
- patients of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHS) and Aboriginal Medical Services (AMS)
- residents in Residential Aged Care Homes (RACHs).
Templates for both types of agreements are available.
Simplified billing services
When you use your private health insurance, your insurer will usually manage Medicare benefits claims on your behalf. This is called ‘simplified billing’. As part of this process, you are required to assign your Medicare benefits to your insurer or, sometimes, an approved billing agent.
When your service is claimed through simplified billing, your private health insurer will usually manage medical claims on your behalf. This assignment process ensures that your Medicare benefits continue to be processed the same way.
In some instances, your healthcare provider may ask you to assign your Medicare benefit to your private health insurer or an approved billing agent as part of usual informed financial consent processes.
Afterwards, your private health insurer or an approved billing agent will send you a notification when they have processed the assigned Medicare benefit.
To ensure you receive the notification correctly, contact your private health insurer to update your contact details.
