Commonsense Delay’ to Assignment of Benefit Changes
10 Nov 2025
The change, affecting all bulk-billed services, is aimed at giving GPs, patients, and software providers more time to prepare.
The reforms were originally scheduled to begin on 9 January 2026, modernising a decades-old system that requires physical signatures — a process the RACGP has long described as “fundamentally flawed” and “stuck in the 1970s.” The overhaul became urgent following the rapid uptake of telehealth during the pandemic, which exposed legal gaps in how verbal consent was managed for bulk-billing.
A recent amendment from the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (DoHDA) confirmed that the delay was due to regulatory limitations and stakeholder feedback. The DoHDA said additional time will help ensure the new processes are practical and effective, with digital assignment options expected to make consent easier and more flexible for both patients and practices.
Dr Michael Bonning, Deputy Chair of the RACGP Expert Committee – Funding and Health System Reform, welcomed the deferral as a “commonsense delay”.
“The Government’s initial plan didn’t take into account the reality of general practice. We need time for training and for software systems to adapt — not a last-minute rollout that risks disrupting practices,” he said.
The RACGP will continue working with the DoHDA to ensure that the transition to modernised assignment processes — including bulk-billed enduring assignment agreements — supports both compliance and workflow efficiency.
Source: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (DoHDA); newsGP; RACGP
