Health Insurance Legislation Amendment (Assignment of Medicare Benefits) 2024

# Health Insurance Legislation Amendment (Assignment of Medicare Benefits) 2024 ## What it does This law changes how doctors and health practitioners can receive Medicare payments directly from the government instead of patients paying upfront and claiming back later (called "bulk billing"). It updates the rules around who can record these payment assignments and how they're documented, giving the government more flexibility to set the recording process through regulations rather than locking it into the law itself. ## Why it matters Bulk billing is a key way Australians avoid out-of-pocket costs at the doctor. These changes modernise the system to make it easier for practices to manage these arrangements and potentially expand how they can operate them, which could improve access to bulk-billed services. ## Key details - **Who it affects:** GPs, specialists, and other health practitioners who bulk bill patients, plus the practices that manage these arrangements - **The main change:** Health workers no longer need to be "employees" to record bulk billing assignments—any "person authorised" by the practice can do it, making the rules more flexible for how clinics operate - **Timing:** The law has already received Royal Assent, but the detailed changes won't take effect for up to 18 months while the government prepares the specific new regulations about how to record these payments

🔒 Voting closed — this bill has been decided by parliament