Assignment of Benefit ‹ Back to Clinically

The DB4e form is being retired — here's what replaces it

From 1 July 2026 the paper DB4e and DB020 forms no longer meet the requirements for assigning a Medicare benefit. There is no new mandatory form to download. What the new rules prescribe instead is a set of information that must be given to the patient, and a signature — from the patient or their assignor — agreeing to it. Paper or electronic both qualify.

Why the DB4e is going

The Health Insurance Amendment (Assignment of Medicare Benefits and Other Measures) Regulations 2025 rework how bulk-billing consent is captured. Three changes matter day to day:

• A signed record is what you'll need. Verbal consent is being phased out over a 12-month transition (1 July 2026 – 30 June 2027); once it ends, a bulk-bill claim should not be made without the patient's (or assignor's) signature.
• The provider no longer co-signs. Only the patient — or someone signing on their behalf as assignor — signs the agreement.
• The fixed form gives way to a data set. Rather than prescribing a layout, the regulation lists the information the agreement must contain.

What replaces it

Any document — paper or electronic, in any layout — that contains the required information and carries the patient's (or assignor's) signature. For a general medical service the agreement must show:

• The patient's name
• The date the agreement is entered into
• Whether it is a pre-agreement (before the service) or post-agreement (after)
• The provider's identifying details — name and practice address, or provider number
• The service date
• For a post-agreement, the MBS item number; for a pre-agreement, the Basic Service Description — the official descriptor used because the exact item isn't known before the visit

The agreement must also state whether the person signing is the patient, and you must keep a copy for two years from when the claim is made. The full set of rules, including the trickier scenarios — minors, assignors, multiple services on one day — is in our plain-English guide to the 1 July changes.

Is there a new official form?

No mandatory one. Services Australia will publish an optional sample, and you are free to use it, adapt it, or use any layout of your own — including a fully electronic one — as long as the data set and signature requirements are met. The practical consequence: the question is no longer "which form do I print?" but "how do I get the right information in front of the patient and capture their signature, every time?"

Your electronic options

The Electronic Transactions Act treats an electronic signature as valid when it identifies the signer, is as reliable as appropriate for the purpose, and the signer agreed to sign that way. Drawn signatures, typed names and click-to-agree can all qualify. In practice, practices are choosing between:

• A signing link sent by SMS or email — the patient opens a form showing the full data set and signs on their phone. This is what an electronic bulk-billing consent form looks like in practice.
• A QR poster or tablet kiosk at reception, for patients who are in the room.
• Paper that mirrors the data set — still allowed, but it leaves you printing, scanning and filing each agreement, and producing them by hand at audit.

Verbal consent during the transition

Verbal assignment of benefit stays valid for all bulk-billed services, in every setting, during the 12-month transition (1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027); a signature is required once it ends. Verbal isn't a yes/no shortcut, though — you must still present the same required information to the patient (provider, the service or its Basic Service Description, the dates, and that they're assigning their benefit as full payment so they won't be charged), record that they agreed, and keep it for two years. Noting who obtained the verbal consent is good practice and keeps the record audit-ready. The only thing that changes is how the agreement is evidenced.

What to do before 1 July

• Stop ordering DB4e/DB020 stock — agreements on the old forms won't meet the requirements after 1 July 2026.
• Decide pre- vs post-agreement for each appointment type, and where the signature gets captured in your workflow.
• Make sure whatever you adopt shows the full data set to the patient before they sign, and stores a retrievable copy for two years.
• Brief reception and billing staff on the scenarios that need a fresh agreement — a different practitioner than booked, or a service outside the pre-agreed description.

Official sources

• Department of Health · Bulk-Billing AoB FAQ
• Health Insurance Amendment (Assignment of Medicare Benefits and Other Measures) Regulations 2025
• Electronic Transactions Act 1999
• Services Australia · Assignment of benefit for bulk-bill claims

Related: What's changing on 1 July 2026 · Electronic bulk-billing consent form