Assignment of Medicare benefits and telehealth services

Temporary arrangement for verbal consent to bulk bill telehealth consultations extended following AMA advocacy.

The AMA has raised concerns with the Department of Health and Aged Care about the planned cessation on 31 December of temporary arrangements allowing practitioners to seek verbal consent to bulk bill their patients for Medicare funded telehealth consultations.

Following these concerns, the DoHAC has confirmed to the AMA that it will extend the current temporary arrangements while it works with the profession to develop a solution that is more suitable for permanent telehealth services. 

The department will publish further details online shortly and emphasised that, while the current arrangements will be extended, it is important for practitioners to have appropriate records in support of their billing. 

The AMA hopes this work will be an opportunity to streamline arrangements for the assignment of Medicare benefits more generally and reduce the associated paperwork requirements.