Assignment of Benefit Changes - July 2026

This guide explains how to create invoices and use Assignment of Benefit (AoB) in MediRecords. It is designed for frontline users and administrators who submit Bulk Bill (Medicare) or Inpatient Medical Claims (IMC – Agreement or Scheme).

Table of contents

1. What is an Assignment of Benefit (AoB)?
2. Bulk Bill (Medicare) - Face-to-Face/Printed (print AOB)
3. Bulk Bill (Medicare) - Virtual/digital (SMS AOB)
4. Known Issues & Solutions (Bulk Bill)
5. Inpatient Invoice - IMC (Agreement or Scheme)
6. What Changes Based on AoB

What is an Assignment of Benefit (AoB)?

An Assignment of Benefit (AoB) is a form that allows a patient to assign their Medicare benefit to the provider. This ensures your organisation receives payment directly from:

• Medicare (for Bulk Bill claims), or
• The relevant funder (for IMC claims)

Bulk Bill (Medicare) - Face-to-Face/Printed (print AOB)

Use this workflow when the patient is physically present.

1. Create the invoice: Start a new invoice and set Bill to = Medicare (Bulk Bill).
2. Print the AoB form: Select Print AoB to generate the form.
   
   
    
3. Capture patient approval: Have the patient sign the printed AoB or provide on-screen confirmation (per site policy).
   
   
    
4. Optional: Store the signed AoB: Scan and upload to the patient’s Consent area, or File the paper copy according to your practice policy.
   
5. Mark AoB as received: Tick AoB as Received on the invoice
   
   
    
6. Submit the claim: Go to Claiming > Unclaimed and submit the claim. The system will prevent submission if AoB is not marked.
   

Bulk Bill (Medicare) - Virtual/digital (SMS AOB)

Use this workflow when the patient is not present and SMS credits are available.

1. Create the invoice: Start a new Bulk Bill (Medicare) invoice.
   
2. Send AoB via SMS: Click Save and SMS AoB, confirm the patient’s mobile number, and send.
   
    
3. Patient receives the SMS: The patient opens a secure link on their device.
   
    
    
4. Patient approves: The patient taps Approve to provide consent.
   
    
    
5. AoB updates automatically: The system ticks AoB Received on the invoice.
   
   
    
6. Confirm and submit: Once approved, the AoB status appears green in the Unclaimed grid and the invoice is ready for submission.
   

Known Issues & Solutions (Bulk Bill)

1. Can’t submit the Bulk Bill claim?
   Ensure the AoB is marked as received on the invoice, and confirm you have a valid physical or digital signature from the patient or their representative.

2. Made changes after AoB was signed?
   If key details are updated (e.g. service date, item numbers, provider, referral), you must resend or reprint the AoB (via Print or SMS), obtain a new patient approval, and re-mark it on the invoice. This is a legal requirement.

3. Need another copy?
   Open the invoice and select Print AoB to reprint, or use Print Medicare Statement from Accounts > Claiming.
   For digitally signed or uploaded forms, access and download them from the Patient’s Consent tab.

4. Where does the SMS send to? 
   The SMS will be sent to the Mobile Phone Number stored in the patient record under Details > Demographics.
   

5. Check SMS delivery: All SMS activity is logged under Activities > Tasks as an SMS on Demand task. If the status is Completed, the SMS was successfully delivered. If the status is Cancelled, the SMS was not delivered, and the Description field will provide details about the reason for the failure.
   

Inpatient Invoice - IMC (Agreement or Scheme)

Use this workflow for inpatient claims. The AoB pathway determines how patient consent is represented.

1. Create the inpatient invoice: Start a new IMC invoice and select AG or SC. Add services and patient details.
   
   
    
2. Select AoB Pathway
   Implied - Consent is covered by admission paperwork
   Requested - Explicit consent is obtained for this claim
   
3. Review before submission
   Confirm the selected pathway is still correct, especially if details change.