|
The Federal Government has announced significant changes to the AoB rollout, including a 12-month transition period during which verbal consent will remain valid in all settings. We're monitoring the situation closely and will update this article as further detail is confirmed. In the meantime, the RACGP and AMA have published summaries of the changes. We are hosting a webinar on 29 June to share the most up-to-date guidance ahead of the 1 July changes – register here. Note: Some of the workflows described in this article will be available in the Dashboard from 1 July 2026. Until then, continue following the current consent process. |
Select the tab below for instructions specific to your practice management software
|
In this article |
Enabling Bulk Billing Consent
-
In the HotDoc Dashboard, go to Medicare Hub > Bulk Billing Consent > Settings.
-
If you wish to have the option to manually send consent requests to patients before their appointment, check the box next to Pre-assignment.
|
Enabling Pre-assignment does not automatically send consent requests to patients before their appointment. Instead, it makes the Send a Pre-assignment Consent button available in the Dashboard, allowing staff to manually send consent requests when needed. |
-
To automatically send consent requests to patients after their appointment has been billed to Medicare, check the box next to Post-assignment. You can also specify whether this should apply to Telehealth appointments, face-to-face appointments, or both.
-
Click Save.
Sending a pre-assignment consent request
Pre-assignment requests are sent manually from the Dashboard. You can send to an individual patient or to multiple patients at once.
-
In the HotDoc Dashboard, go to Medicare Hub > Bulk Billing Consent.
-
Select Send a Pre-assignment Consent in the top right corner.
-
In the Select Patients screen, search for the patient by name or date of birth.
-
Add each patient you want to send a request to, then select Next > Select Pre-assignment.
-
In the Select Service screen (Step 2 of 2), select the Basic Service Description that best matches the appointment type.
Choose the option that best matches the appointment type and expected duration. If the Medicare item billed after the appointment falls outside the selected Basic Service Description, HotDoc will automatically send the patient a post-assignment consent request, provided Post-assignment is enabled.
For further information, please see: How do I choose a Basic Service Description for Assignment of Benefit?
Selecting a Basic Service Description -
Click Send. The patient will receive a push notification or email asking them to consent to bulk billing before their appointment.
Processing a post-assignment consent request
Post-assignment sends automatically once you create and store the invoice with a valid MBS item billed to Medicare.
-
Once the patient has been seen, the practitioner finalises the visit in Best Practice with the relevant MBS items and clicks Save.
-
Click Create account directly from the appointment tile to create the invoice.
-
In the invoice, ensure Bill to is set to Medicare Direct Bill, then select Store.
Please note: If you are using HotDoc Payments and the patient added a payment method for this appointment, setting the invoice to Medicare Direct Bill will automatically cancel the HotDoc payment request.
-
The patient will automatically receive one notification asking them to approve bulk billing. Emails are prioritised over SMS as they have the highest consent response rate and are preferred by Services Australia.
- Push notification is sent to the patient's mobile and opens in the HotDoc app
- Email and SMS are sent to the details listed in the patient's file in Best Practice
Note: Bulk Billing Consent requests for face-to-face appointments will be sent by email and push notification only, not by SMS. Please ensure your patients have an email address in their patient file. Example of email, sent for both telehealth and face-to-face appointments Please note: It can take 5–10 minutes for the first SMS to go through for patients Example of SMS, sent for telehealth appointments only -
For further information about the patient journey, please see: How do I provide consent for bulk billed appointments?
-
After providing consent, the patient sees a confirmation message and can download a copy of their consent.
-
Please note: If the patient declines, this will appear in your Bulk Billing Consent history in the Dashboard. No further notification will be sent automatically – contact the patient directly to capture consent via another method.
-
A PDF of the patient's consent is saved to Correspondence In in their Best Practice patient file.
Example of the PDF document once opened -
If the patient does not respond on the day of their appointment, a second and final notification will be sent the next morning. If they do not respond to the second notification, the status will move to Requires action – see What to do when a patient's consent status is 'Requires action'.
Resending a consent request
If a patient has not responded after two notifications, you can manually resend their consent request once from the Dashboard. The resend will be sent via SMS.
-
In the HotDoc Dashboard, go to Medicare Hub > Bulk Billing Consent.
-
Click on the patient row to expand it.
-
Click Resend.
-
Click Send now.
-
The patient will receive a new consent request. Please note, resends are limited to once per consent request.
|
If you have multiple patients you need to resend for, you can filter the list of appointments by Post-consent status Action Required. |
Viewing consent records
To see if the consent form has been written back to Best Practice, check the consent status in the Medicare Hub within the Dashboard.
A consent form has been successfully written back to your practice software when the status is:
- Completed – Valid (pre-assignment consent)
- Completed (post-assignment consent)
If the status is Completed – Valid (unable to upload) or Action required – Unable to upload, the patient has signed the consent form but HotDoc was unable to write it back to Best Practice. Download the PDF and add it to the patient's record manually.
For Best Practice, consent PDFs are saved to Correspondence In.
Telehealth Video consultations
If your practice uses HotDoc Telehealth Video, you can also capture bulk billing consent during the video consult itself.
During the consultation, the practitioner selects the relevant MBS item codes within the video interface.
The patient receives this within the video and selects I agree to assign the Medicare benefit.
HotDoc then saves this as a PDF to the patient's file in Best Practice, under Correspondence In.
To set up Telehealth Video appointments and view the full patient journey, see:
- Getting Started with Telehealth Video Consultations
- How does a practitioner start a Telehealth Video Consultation?
- Telehealth Video – The Patient Journey
How to view and manage consent requests
Go to Medicare Hub > Bulk Billing Consent in the Dashboard to view and manage consent requests. Filter by appointment date, practitioner, consent status, or search by patient name.
For each appointment, you can view the date and time, patient and practitioner details, consent statuses, how and when requests were sent, and download a PDF.
Click a row to see notification details and access the Resend, Mark as complete, and Download PDF actions.
Frequently asked questions
For more detailed guidance on the AoB changes, compliance, and edge cases, see our AoB FAQ article.
What to do when a patient's consent status is 'Requires action'
+
HotDoc will make two automated attempts to capture the patient's consent – the first notification on the day of the appointment, and a second notification the next morning.
If the patient does not respond after two notifications, or if they decline, the status will move to Requires action. At this point you can use the Resend button to send one further request via SMS, or contact the patient directly to capture consent via another method.
-
In the HotDoc Dashboard, go to Medicare Hub > Bulk Billing Consent.
-
Filter by Post-consent status > Action required – No response to view all patients who need follow-up.
-
Click on any row to expand it. If the patient has not yet been resent, click Resend to send one further request via SMS.
-
If you have already resent or the patient still doesn't respond, contact them directly to capture their consent via another method. Once done, select Mark as Complete. The status will update to Completed – Manually actioned.
Please note: The patient can still complete the original consent request for up to 30 days after it was created. You can direct the patient to the link in the original email or SMS to complete this.
Does it have to be a HotDoc appointment for a request to send?
+
No – if Bulk Billing Consent is enabled, a request will send for any appointment at your practice that meets the sending criteria, whether it was booked online through HotDoc or directly at the practice.
When is a post-assignment request triggered?
+
For telehealth appointments, a request sends when the appointment type name or settings match the telehealth criteria above and the invoice is billed to Medicare with a valid MBS item. For face-to-face appointments, a request sends when the appointment is not telehealth and the invoice is billed to Medicare with a valid MBS item.
Does a request send if we click 'Hold' on the invoice? (Best Practice)
+
No – a request only sends when you click Store on the invoice.
Does a request send if the invoice is billed to DVA?
+
No – requests only send when the invoice is billed to Medicare Direct Bill.
Can we still use the DB4/DB4E form to capture consent?
+
No – the DB4/DB4E and DB020 forms are no longer valid from 1 July 2026. Any written consent collected from 1 July must use a form that includes the prescribed data set required under the new rules. HotDoc's Bulk Billing Consent feature meets this requirement. During the 12-month transition period, verbal consent remains valid while your practice moves to a compliant digital or paper-based process.
Can we still capture consent verbally?
+
Yes, during the 12-month transition period announced on 18 June 2026. Verbal consent remains valid in all settings until July 2027 while practices move to a compliant digital consent process. After the transition period, all consent must be captured in writing using a compliant form. See the update notice at the top of this article for more detail.
Do I need to send the patient a copy of the completed form?
+
When the patient completes the form, they have the option to download a copy themselves. If they request one separately, Best Practice and Medical Director clinics can locate the PDF in the patient's file. Zedmed clinics will need to download the PDF from the Dashboard before the 30-day expiry.
Can we export patient data from the Bulk Billing Consent page?
+
No – there is currently no export option. You can use the filters and search to find specific records, or print the page by right-clicking and selecting Print.
Do requests expire?
+
Yes – requests are removed from HotDoc's system 30 days after creation. If a patient tries to open an expired link, they will be prompted to contact the clinic.
How do I choose the right Basic Service Description for pre-assignment?
+
Pre-consent is requested against a Basic Service Description rather than a specific MBS item number. In most cases, it is not necessary to look up which Basic Service Description covers a specific item number. You can simply choose the Basic Service Description that best matches the service you expect to provide.
If the final item billed falls outside the selected Basic Service Description category, HotDoc will automatically send a post-consent request to the patient with the exact item number (provided post-consent is enabled), so that consent is obtained for the correct service.
However, if you would like to verify which Basic Service Description applies to a specific MBS item number, you can check the Australian Government's Basic Service Description reference file – see How do I choose a Basic Service Description for Assignment of Benefit?
|
In this article |
Enabling Bulk Billing Consent
-
In the HotDoc Dashboard, go to Medicare Hub > Bulk Billing Consent > Settings.
-
If you wish to have the option to manually send consent requests to patients before their appointment, check the box next to Pre-assignment.
|
Enabling Pre-assignment does not automatically send consent requests to patients before their appointment. Instead, it makes the Send a Pre-assignment Consent button available in the Dashboard, allowing staff to manually send consent requests when needed. |
-
To automatically send consent requests to patients after their appointment has been billed to Medicare, check the box next to Post-assignment. You can also specify whether this should apply to Telehealth appointments, face-to-face appointments, or both.
-
Click Save.
Sending a pre-assignment consent request
Pre-assignment requests are sent manually from the Dashboard. You can send to an individual patient or to multiple patients at once.
-
In the HotDoc Dashboard, go to Medicare Hub > Bulk Billing Consent.
-
Select Send a Pre-assignment Consent in the top right corner.
-
In the Select Patients screen, search for the patient by name or date of birth.
-
Add each patient you want to send a request to, then select Next > Select Pre-assignment.
-
In the Select Service screen (Step 2 of 2), select the Basic Service Description that best matches the appointment type.
Choose the option that best matches the appointment type and expected duration. If the Medicare item billed after the appointment falls outside the selected Basic Service Description, HotDoc will automatically send the patient a post-assignment consent request, provided Post-assignment is enabled.
For further information, please see: How do I choose a Basic Service Description for Assignment of Benefit?
Selecting a Basic Service Description -
Click Send. The patient will receive a push notification or email asking them to consent to bulk billing before their appointment.
Processing a post-assignment consent request
Post-assignment sends automatically once you create and store the invoice with a valid MBS item billed to Medicare.
-
Once the patient has been seen, the practitioner finalises the visit in Medical Director by clicking Voucher (or Claim), ensuring:
* Invoice to: is Bulk Bill
* You've added the relevant MBS items
* Remove from Waiting Room is ticked in Visit optionsClicking Voucher/Claim triggers HotDoc to sync the invoice and send a request to the patient. If your software submits a claim to Medicare upon clicking Claim, it may send prior to capturing consent. We recommend batch claiming to Medicare after receiving patient's consent. ⓘ Please note -
The patient will automatically receive one notification asking them to approve bulk billing. Emails are prioritised over SMS as they have the highest consent response rate and are preferred by Services Australia.
- Push notification is sent to the patient's mobile and opens in the HotDoc app
- Email and SMS are sent to the details listed in the patient's file in Medical Director
Note: Bulk Billing Consent requests for face-to-face appointments will be sent by email and push notification only, not by SMS. Please ensure your patients have an email address in their patient file. Example of email, sent for both telehealth and face-to-face appointments Please note: It can take 5–10 minutes for the first SMS to go through for patients Example of SMS, sent for telehealth appointments only
-
For further information about the patient journey, please see: How do I provide consent for bulk billed appointments?
-
After providing consent, the patient sees a confirmation message and can download a copy of their consent.
Please note: If the patient declines, this will appear in your Bulk Billing Consent history in the Dashboard. No further notification will be sent automatically – contact the patient directly to capture consent via another method. -
A PDF document of the patient's consent is saved to the patient's file in Medical Director under Documents. Click this to open the document to view their consent.
Example of the PDF document once opened -
If the patient does not respond on the day of their appointment, a second and final notification will be sent the next morning. If they do not respond to the second notification, the status will move to Requires action – see What to do when a patient's consent status is 'Requires action'.
Resending a consent request
If a patient has not responded after two notifications, you can manually resend their consent request once from the Dashboard. The resend will be sent via SMS.
-
In the HotDoc Dashboard, go to Medicare Hub > Bulk Billing Consent.
-
Click on the patient row to expand it.
-
Click Resend.
-
Click Send now.
-
The patient will receive a new consent request. Please note, resends are limited to once per consent request.
|
If you have multiple patients you need to resend for, you can filter the list of appointments by Post-consent status Action Required. |
Viewing consent records
To see if the consent form has been written back to Medical Director, check the consent status in the Medicare Hub within the Dashboard.
A consent form has been successfully written back to your practice software when the status is:
- Completed – Valid (pre-assignment consent)
- Completed (post-assignment consent)
If the status is Completed – Valid (unable to upload) or Action required – Unable to upload, the patient has signed the consent form but HotDoc was unable to write it back to Medical Director. Download the PDF and add it to the patient's record manually.
For Medical Director, consent PDFs are saved to the patient's file under Documents.
Telehealth Video consultations
If your practice uses HotDoc Telehealth Video, you can also capture bulk billing consent during the video consult itself.
During the consultation, the practitioner selects the relevant MBS item codes within the video interface.
The patient receives this within the video and selects I agree to assign the Medicare benefit.
HotDoc then saves this as a PDF to the patient's file in Medical Director, under Documents.
To set up Telehealth Video appointments and view the full patient journey, see:
- Getting Started with Telehealth Video Consultations
- How does a practitioner start a Telehealth Video Consultation?
- Telehealth Video – The Patient Journey
How to view and manage consent requests
Go to Medicare Hub > Bulk Billing Consent in the Dashboard to view and manage consent requests. Filter by appointment date, practitioner, consent status, or search by patient name.
For each appointment, you can view the date and time, patient and practitioner details, consent statuses, how and when requests were sent, and download a PDF.
Click a row to see notification details and access the Resend, Mark as complete, and Download PDF actions.
Frequently asked questions
For more detailed guidance on the AoB changes, compliance, and edge cases, see our AoB FAQ article.
What to do when a patient's consent status is 'Requires action'
+
HotDoc will make two automated attempts to capture the patient's consent – the first notification on the day of the appointment, and a second notification the next morning.
If the patient does not respond after two notifications, or if they decline, the status will move to Requires action. At this point you can use the Resend button to send one further request via SMS, or contact the patient directly to capture consent via another method.
-
In the HotDoc Dashboard, go to Medicare Hub > Bulk Billing Consent.
-
Filter by Post-consent status > Action required – No response to view all patients who need follow-up.
-
Click on any row to expand it. If the patient has not yet been resent, click Resend to send one further request via SMS.
-
If you have already resent or the patient still doesn't respond, contact them directly to capture their consent via another method. Once done, select Mark as Complete. The status will update to Completed – Manually actioned.
Please note: The patient can still complete the original consent request for up to 30 days after it was created. You can direct the patient to the link in the original email or SMS to complete this.
Does it have to be a HotDoc appointment for a request to send?
+
No – if Bulk Billing Consent is enabled, a request will send for any appointment at your practice that meets the sending criteria, whether it was booked online through HotDoc or directly at the practice.
When is a post-assignment request triggered?
+
For telehealth appointments, a request sends when the appointment type name or settings match the telehealth criteria above and the invoice is billed to Medicare with a valid MBS item. For face-to-face appointments, a request sends when the appointment is not telehealth and the invoice is billed to Medicare with a valid MBS item.
Does a request send if we click 'Hold' on the invoice?
+
No – a request only sends when you click Voucher/Claim on the invoice.
Does a request send if the invoice is billed to DVA?
+
No – requests only send when the invoice is billed to Medicare Direct Bill.
Can we still use the DB4/DB4E form to capture consent?
+
No – the DB4/DB4E and DB020 forms are no longer valid from 1 July 2026. Any written consent collected from 1 July must use a form that includes the prescribed data set required under the new rules. HotDoc's Bulk Billing Consent feature meets this requirement. During the 12-month transition period, verbal consent remains valid while your practice moves to a compliant digital or paper-based process.
Can we still capture consent verbally?
+
Yes, during the 12-month transition period announced on 18 June 2026. Verbal consent remains valid in all settings until July 2027 while practices move to a compliant digital consent process. After the transition period, all consent must be captured in writing using a compliant form. See the update notice at the top of this article for more detail.
Do I need to send the patient a copy of the completed form?
+
When the patient completes the form, they have the option to download a copy themselves. If they request one separately, Best Practice and Medical Director clinics can locate the PDF in the patient's file. Zedmed clinics will need to download the PDF from the Dashboard before the 30-day expiry.
Can we export patient data from the Bulk Billing Consent page?
+
No – there is currently no export option. You can use the filters and search to find specific records, or print the page by right-clicking and selecting Print.
Do requests expire?
+
Yes – requests are removed from HotDoc's system 30 days after creation. If a patient tries to open an expired link, they will be prompted to contact the clinic.
How do I choose the right Basic Service Description for pre-assignment?
+
Pre-consent is requested against a Basic Service Description rather than a specific MBS item number. In most cases, it is not necessary to look up which Basic Service Description covers a specific item number. You can simply choose the Basic Service Description that best matches the service you expect to provide.
If the final item billed falls outside the selected Basic Service Description category, HotDoc will automatically send a post-consent request to the patient with the exact item number (provided post-consent is enabled), so that consent is obtained for the correct service.
However, if you would like to verify which Basic Service Description applies to a specific MBS item number, you can check the Australian Government's Basic Service Description reference file – see How do I choose a Basic Service Description for Assignment of Benefit?.
|
In this article |
| Bulk Billing Consent for Zedmed is currently in trials. If you'd like to be activated, please contact support. |
Enabling Bulk Billing Consent (Zedmed)
-
In the HotDoc Dashboard, go to Medicare Hub > Bulk Billing Consent > Settings.
-
If you wish to have the option to manually send consent requests to patients before their appointment, check the box next to Pre-assignment.
|
Enabling Pre-assignment does not automatically send consent requests to patients before their appointment. Instead, it makes the Send a Pre-assignment Consent button available in the Dashboard, allowing staff to manually send consent requests when needed. |
-
To automatically send consent requests to patients after their appointment has been billed to Medicare, check the box next to Post-assignment. You can also specify whether this should apply to Telehealth appointments, face-to-face appointments, or both.
-
Click Save.
Sending a pre-assignment consent request
Pre-assignment requests are sent manually from the Dashboard. You can send to an individual patient or to multiple patients at once.
-
In the HotDoc Dashboard, go to Medicare Hub > Bulk Billing Consent.
-
Select Send a Pre-assignment Consent in the top right corner.
-
In the Select Patients screen, search for the patient by name or date of birth.
-
Add each patient you want to send a request to, then select Next > Select Pre-assignment.
-
In the Select Service screen (Step 2 of 2), select the Basic Service Description that best matches the appointment type.
Choose the option that best matches the appointment type and expected duration. If the Medicare item billed after the appointment falls outside the selected Basic Service Description, HotDoc will automatically send the patient a post-assignment consent request, provided Post-assignment is enabled.
For further information, please see: How do I choose a Basic Service Description for Assignment of Benefit?
Selecting a Basic Service Description -
Click Send. The patient will receive a push notification or email asking them to consent to bulk billing before their appointment.
Processing a post-assignment consent request
Post-assignment sends automatically once you create and store the invoice with a valid MBS item billed to Medicare.
-
Once the patient has been seen, bill the patient in Zedmed by creating a new invoice, ensuring:
* Payer: Medicare
* You've added the relevant MBS items
* You've clicked SuppressPlease note: If you are using HotDoc Payments and the patient added a payment method for this appointment, setting the Payer as Medicare will automatically cancel the HotDoc payment request. -
The patient will automatically receive one notification asking them to approve bulk billing. Emails are prioritised over SMS as they have the highest consent response rate and are preferred by Services Australia.
- Push notification is sent to the patient's mobile and opens in the HotDoc app
- Email and SMS are sent to the details listed in the patient's file in Zedmed
Note: Bulk Billing Consent requests for face-to-face appointments will be sent by email and push notification only, not by SMS. Please ensure your patients have an email address in their patient file. Example of email, sent for both telehealth and face-to-face appointments Please note: It can take 5–10 minutes for the first SMS to go through for patients Example of SMS, sent for telehealth appointments only -
For further information about the patient journey, please see: How do I provide consent for bulk billed appointments?
-
After providing consent, the patient sees a confirmation message and can download a copy of their consent.
-
Please note: If the patient declines, this will appear in your Bulk Billing Consent history in the Dashboard. No further notification will be sent automatically – contact the patient directly to capture consent via another method.
-
HotDoc saves a PDF of the consent to the Dashboard. Download it from Bulk Billing Consent > Download PDF within 30 days of the request being created.
-
If the patient does not respond on the day of their appointment, a second and final notification will be sent the next morning. If they do not respond to the second notification, the status will move to Requires action – see What to do when a patient's consent status is 'Requires action'.
Resending a consent request
If a patient has not responded after two notifications, you can manually resend their consent request once from the Dashboard. The resend will be sent via SMS.
-
In the HotDoc Dashboard, go to Medicare Hub > Bulk Billing Consent.
-
Click on the patient row to expand it.
-
Click Resend.
-
Click Send now.
-
The patient will receive a new consent request. Please note, resends are limited to once per consent request.
|
If you have multiple patients you need to resend for, you can filter the list of appointments by Post-consent status Action Required. |
Viewing consent records (Zedmed)
Unlike Best Practice and Medical Director, consent PDFs are not automatically saved to your practice software. Download each PDF manually from the HotDoc Dashboard by going to Bulk Billing Consent > Download PDF.
| Please note! Consents are removed from HotDoc 30 days after the request was created. Download all forms before this deadline. You will need to download each form individually. |
Telehealth Video consultations
If your practice uses HotDoc Telehealth Video, you can also capture bulk billing consent during the video consult itself.
During the consultation, the practitioner selects the relevant MBS item codes within the video interface.
The patient receives this within the video and selects I agree to assign the Medicare benefit.
HotDoc saves a PDF of the consent to the Dashboard. Download it from Bulk Billing Consent > Download PDF within 30 days of the request being created.
To set up Telehealth Video appointments and view the full patient journey, see:
- Getting Started with Telehealth Video Consultations
- How does a practitioner start a Telehealth Video Consultation?
- Telehealth Video – The Patient Journey
How to view and manage consent requests
Go to Medicare Hub > Bulk Billing Consent in the Dashboard to view and manage consent requests. Filter by appointment date, practitioner, consent status, or search by patient name.
For each appointment, you can view the date and time, patient and practitioner details, consent statuses, how and when requests were sent, and download a PDF.
Click a row to see notification details and access the Resend, Mark as complete, and Download PDF actions.
Frequently asked questions
For more detailed guidance on the AoB changes, compliance, and edge cases, see our AoB FAQ article.
What to do when a patient's consent status is 'Requires action'
+
HotDoc will make two automated attempts to capture the patient's consent – the first notification on the day of the appointment, and a second notification the next morning.
If the patient does not respond after two notifications, or if they decline, the status will move to Requires action. At this point you can use the Resend button to send one further request via SMS, or contact the patient directly to capture consent via another method.
-
In the HotDoc Dashboard, go to Medicare Hub > Bulk Billing Consent.
-
Filter by Post-consent status > Action required – No response to view all patients who need follow-up.
-
Click on any row to expand it. If the patient has not yet been resent, click Resend to send one further request via SMS.
-
If you have already resent or the patient still doesn't respond, contact them directly to capture their consent via another method. Once done, select Mark as Complete. The status will update to Completed – Manually actioned.
Please note: The patient can still complete the original consent request for up to 30 days after it was created. You can direct the patient to the link in the original email or SMS to complete this.
Does it have to be a HotDoc appointment for a request to send?
+
No – if Bulk Billing Consent is enabled, a request will send for any appointment at your practice that meets the sending criteria, whether it was booked online through HotDoc or directly at the practice.
When is a post-assignment request triggered?
+
For telehealth appointments, a request sends when the appointment type name or settings match the telehealth criteria above and the invoice is billed to Medicare with a valid MBS item. For face-to-face appointments, a request sends when the appointment is not telehealth and the invoice is billed to Medicare with a valid MBS item.
Does a request send if the invoice is billed to DVA?
+
No – requests only send when the invoice is billed to Medicare.
Can we still use the DB4/DB4E form to capture consent?
+
No – the DB4/DB4E and DB020 forms are no longer valid from 1 July 2026. Any written consent collected from 1 July must use a form that includes the prescribed data set required under the new rules. HotDoc's Bulk Billing Consent feature meets this requirement. During the 12-month transition period, verbal consent remains valid while your practice moves to a compliant digital or paper-based process.
Can we still capture consent verbally?
+
Yes, during the 12-month transition period announced on 18 June 2026. Verbal consent remains valid in all settings until July 2027 while practices move to a compliant digital consent process. After the transition period, all consent must be captured in writing using a compliant form. See the update notice at the top of this article for more detail.
Do I need to send the patient a copy of the completed form?
+
When the patient completes the form, they have the option to download a copy themselves. If they request one separately, Best Practice and Medical Director clinics can locate the PDF in the patient's file. Zedmed clinics will need to download the PDF from the Dashboard before the 30-day expiry.
Can we export patient data from the Bulk Billing Consent page?
+
No – there is currently no export option. You can use the filters and search to find specific records, or print the page by right-clicking and selecting Print.
Do requests expire?
+
Yes – requests are removed from HotDoc's system 30 days after creation. If a patient tries to open an expired link, they will be prompted to contact the clinic.
How do I choose the right Basic Service Description for pre-assignment?
+
Pre-consent is requested against a Basic Service Description rather than a specific MBS item number. In most cases, it is not necessary to look up which Basic Service Description covers a specific item number. You can simply choose the Basic Service Description that best matches the service you expect to provide.
If the final item billed falls outside the selected Basic Service Description category, HotDoc will automatically send a post-consent request to the patient with the exact item number (provided post-consent is enabled), so that consent is obtained for the correct service.
However, if you would like to verify which Basic Service Description applies to a specific MBS item number, you can check the Australian Government's Basic Service Description reference file – see How do I choose a Basic Service Description for Assignment of Benefit?