Key changes to Assignment of Medicare Benefits (AoB) that commence from 1 July 2026:

• Verbal consent for telehealth AoB will no longer be accepted, patients/assignors will need to provide a physical or electronic signature.
• Existing DB4e and DB020 forms will no longer be compliant unless updated to include the new required data set. - The “new data set” means the minimum information that must now be included in an Assignment of Medicare Benefits agreement from 1 July 2026.
• Practices can use their own paper or electronic AoB format there is no mandatory form, but all required information must be included.
• Patients can assign their Medicare benefit before or after a service, provided this is done before the claim is submitted.
• If the service or practitioner changes, a new AoB agreement may be required.
• Practitioners no longer need to sign the AoB agreement.
• Completed AoB agreements must be kept for 2 years and provided to the patient on request.
• If a patient does not agree to assign their Medicare benefit, they should be privately billed and can claim their rebate from Services Australia.
• Transitional arrangements apply to pathology only for referrals issued before 1 July 2026.

Practices should commence thinking about reviewing the information and consider aligning their templates, workflows, processes etc. to ensure they are ready for these changes.

FAQ from the DHDA and link to the website. Improving the assignment of benefit process | Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing