From July 1, 2026, Australia updated the requirements for assigning a Medicare benefit whenever a service is bulk billed. This is a process change to the paperwork behind bulk billing, not a change to whether practices choose to bulk bill — it's easy to conflate the two given how much attention "Medicare bulk billing changes" headlines get, so it's worth being precise about which part actually moved.
The short version: the requirement for a GP to co-sign each bulk-billed assignment-of-benefit form is removed. Patients now assign their benefit digitally — via SMS or email opening a PIN-protected web form — or via an updated paper form. Practices need the patient's signature (electronic or physical) and must keep a copy for two years. A 12-month transition period allows verbal assignment while practices update their workflows and software.
What actually changed: the assignment-of-benefit process
Previously, bulk billing required a GP to co-sign each individual assignment-of-benefit form alongside the patient — an administrative step on every bulk-billed visit. From July 1, 2026, that co-signature requirement is removed. Instead, patients can assign their Medicare benefit through a digital process: an SMS or email opens a PIN-protected web form on their own device, or they can use an updated paper form. Practitioners no longer need to use a specific approved form or sign the agreement themselves, but they do need the patient's signature — electronic or physical — and must retain a copy of it for two years.
The 12-month transition period
Recognizing that practices need time to update systems, there's a full 12-month transition window starting July 1, 2026 during which patients can still provide verbal assignment of benefit. That gives clinics time to update workflows, train reception and clinical staff, and confirm their practice management software supports the new digital consent options — without being forced to switch everything over on day one.
A separate, earlier change: bulk billing incentives
Distinct from this paperwork update, the federal government extended MBS bulk billing incentive items to all Australians (not just concession card holders) effective November 1, 2025, and added a further incentive for practices that agree to bulk bill all GP non-referred attendances. Practices signing up to the Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program receive an additional 12.5% payment on every dollar of MBS benefit earned from eligible bulk-billed services. This incentive-side change predates and is separate from the July 2026 paperwork update, but the two are often discussed together since both affect the practical experience of bulk billing.
What this means at your next bulk-billed visit
- You may be asked to consent via text or email instead of signing a paper form the GP also signs — expect this to vary by practice depending on how quickly they've adopted the new digital option.
- Verbal consent may still be accepted through mid-2027, so don't be surprised if the process looks unchanged at some practices during the transition.
- None of this affects your out-of-pocket cost directly — that depends on whether your practice bulk bills at all and which incentive arrangements it has opted into, both separate questions from the consent paperwork itself.