Positive moves on Assignment of Medicare Benefits rules

The AMA welcomes the new Health Insurance Legislation Amendment (Assignment of Medicare Benefits) Bill 2024, which is a key step towards fixing out-of-date assignment of benefit rules under the Health Insurance Act.

The AMA had been calling for changes to the Health Insurance Act to bring it in line with modern practices, including removing statutory requirements for patients to have to sign paper-based forms when assigning their Medicare benefit.

The proposed legislation will allow the AMA to work with the Department of Health and Aged Care over the next 18 months to design more relevant rules that will do away with the requirements for paper-based forms and provide much greater flexibility in how assignment of benefit can be demonstrated. Importantly, while the new rules are being developed, the department will continue to observe the previously announced commitment that until these changes are made, there are no plans to pursue any broad punitive actions on this issue unless it relates to fraudulent claims against Medicare.