If you manage a general practice, you’ve likely been hearing a lot about upcoming changes to Medicare Assignment of Benefits (AoB) requirements.
While some aspects of the Assignment of Benefit reforms have been deferred until 1 July 2027, important changes still commence from 1 July 2026. The additional time gives practices an opportunity to review and update workflows in a planned and manageable way.
By the time the 2027 deadline rolls back around, there will be two groups: the practices that have taken the time to prepare, and those that haven’t.
A year passes quickly: here’s how you can use it well.
A quick overview of AoB changes
What’s changing in 2026?
From 1 July 2026, verbal consent can continue to be used in all settings during the 12-month transition period. The government has extended this provision, instead of ending it on 1 July 2026 as originally proposed.
Enduring Assignment of Benefit arrangements will be available for certain cohorts from 1 July 2026, rather than being delayed until 2027.
What’s changing in 2027?
Full compliance with the new AoB framework will not be required until 1 July 2027.
From 1 July 2027, practices will need to collect and retain signed patient consent for all bulk billed appointments — for both telehealth and face-to-face consults.
3 things practices can do during the transition period
Many general practices feel overwhelmed by the demands of administrative workflows: it’s no surprise that many see AoB as another complex task to manage.
That’s why Healthengine is running a free AoB webinar at 4:00pm AEST on 25 June 2026. We’ll cover everything you need to do between now and the 2027 deadline, including:
- How to use Healthengine’s existing AoB tools
- Tips for preparing patients for the change
- Why up-to-date patient data is a crucial step within your PMS
At a top-level, here’s what we’ll cover in the webinar.
Make sure your patient details are up-to-date ahead of the changes.
1. How to use Healthengine’s existing AoB tools
Healthengine is updating bulk billing workflows for post-service consent. This means practices will be able to capture digital consent after any appointment type, rather than only telehealth.
In the webinar, our product team will cover what’s changed in the Healthengine workflow.
2. Tips for preparing patients for the change
Patient communication is one of the most important things to consider during the transition period.
Some patients may be surprised to receive an SMS or email after their appointment and others may be cautious about clicking links if they’re concerned about scams.
This is the phrase we’d recommend using: “Medicare consent requirements are changing. After your appointment, you may receive an SMS and email from Healthengine asking you to confirm your Medicare Assignment of Benefit so we can complete your bulk billing. This is part of our normal billing process.”
Having a script can make the change easier for your staff to manage — we’ll cover change management in greater detail during the webinar.
3. Why up-to-date patient data is a crucial step within your PMS
Digital consent works best when patient details are accurate — especially since Healthengine sends consent requests by SMS and email, with patients also needing to verify their identity before viewing the form.
With the deadline extended, the next 12 months are a solid timeframe for reviewing your team’s process for capturing and updating patient information.
Sign up for our webinar for tips on updating patient details, along with other advice to help you get ahead of AoB changes in the coming 12 months.
Updating patients is a key step that practices need to take.
Medicare AoB FAQs
Has the 1 July deadline been extended?
Yes, but there are still some changes being introduced from 1 July 2026 (as outlined above). Full compliance with the new AoB framework will not be required from 1 July 2026. A 12-month transition period means verbal consent can continue to be used in all settings while practices prepare for future requirements.
Can a practice resend a consent link if the patient doesn’t respond?
Yes. Practices can resend the consent request from Practice Admin → Bulk billing consent. Healthengine is also adding an automated reminder option after 24 hours if no response is received.
What if the patient doesn’t agree to assign their Medicare benefit?
If the patient does not agree to assign their Medicare benefit, they should be privately billed and provided with an invoice so they can claim their Medicare benefit from Services Australia, where applicable.
Still got questions but can’t make the webinar? Our Customer Support team is here to listen and help — get in touch today. We’ve also published an AoB support article and bulk billing consent FAQs to help you check your workflow configuration and settings.
