Bluechip Updates

26 June, 2026

For Specialists & Practitioners and Practice Managers.

This page is accurate as at 26 June, we will regularly update this page as and when new information becomes available.   

 

What to do and when 

When	What	Version
Right now	Nothing. Your existing bulk billing workflow works. Verbal consent (“are you happy to be bulk billed?”) is legally sufficient for 12 months from 1 July 2026. No penalties, no audits.	v4.1+
Upgrade to v4.4	Get the updated DB4 – Post Assignment form, new AoB billing fields, and a new AoB report — all in one release. Same workflow — the compliant form prints automatically.	MDBC 4.4 (releasing now)
Later in 2026	Digital consent capture, enduring AoB support, and additional partner integrations.	MDBC 4.5 (planned)
Before 1 July 2027	Adopt a consistent digital consent workflow using Bluechip and/or our partners.	Ongoing

What’s changing 

The Health Insurance Amendment Regulations 2025 update how patient consent for bulk billing is captured. The old DB4 form is replaced by a new “DB4 – Post Assignment” agreement with additional required fields. 

On 18 June 2026, the government announced key modifications (RACGP summary): 

• Verbal consent is sufficient for 12 months from 1 July 2026alongside the requirement to keep the documented agreement for two years (based on current Government guidance as at the date of this newsletter).otri 

• Compliance enforcement will not begin until regulatory changes are complete — starting with education, not penalties. 

• Enduring AoB (ongoing consent across visits) is available from 1 July for MyMedicare patients, aged care residents, and ACCHO patients. Government is still confirming how this is recorded in software. 

How Bluechip meets each requirement 

1. Capturing consent — Post-assignment 

What the legislation requires: An agreement containing patient name, Medicare number, provider details, service date, MBS item(s), agreement date, agreement type, whether the assignor is the patient, and an updated privacy notice. 

In Bluechip v4.4: The printed DB4 form now includes all required fields: 

Field	Change
Title	“DB4” → “DB4 – Post Assignment”
Document type	“FORM” → “AGREEMENT”
Legal reference	Updated to Health Insurance Regulations 2018
New fields	Agreement Date, Agreement Type, Is assignor the patient? (Yes/No)
Signature label	→ “Patient or Assignor Signature”
Privacy notice	Updated (references Privacy Act 1988)
Removed	LSPN Number

Additionally, new AoB billing fields have been added to the Authorisation tab when recording a visit — Agreement Date, Agreement Type, and Assignor — and are stored with the billing record. 

The workflow is unchanged: Waiting Room → right-click → Record Visit → Bulk Bill → Voucher to print. 

Ref: BlueChip Knowledge Centre 

During the grace period, you do not need to print the form. Verbal consent is enough. 

2. Capturing consent — Pre-assignment 

What the legislation requires: A separate agreement where the patient consents by service group (e.g., “general consult”) before the consultation. 

In Bluechip: Pre-assignment consent is captured via our partners during the booking flow or via SMS/email using government-approved templates (see links above). In v4.5, Bluechip will store acknowledgements from partners confirming pre-assignment was captured. 

During the 12-month grace period, verbal consent before the consultation is sufficient. 

3. Reports and record-keeping 

What the legislation requires: Keep AoB records for 2 years. Provide a copy to the patient on request. 

In BlueChip v4.4: A new Assignment of Benefit for Bulk Bill Claims Report is available: 

Access: Practice Explorer → Medicare Australia → Reports → Print → “Assignment of Benefit Report” 

Column	Description
Claim ID	Unique claim identifier
Patient Name	Patient the service was for
Visit Date	Date of service
Item Number	MBS item billed
Agreement Date	Date consent was captured
Agreement Type	Post-assignment or Pre-assignment
Assignor	Patient or Other
Practitioner/Locum	Servicing provider

4. Enduring AoB 

What the legislation provides for: Ongoing consent across multiple visits for MyMedicare patients, aged care residents, and ACCHO patients. Government has not yet published how this is recorded in software. 

In v4.5: Bluechip is committed to working with the Department of Health on implementing the new Enduring Assignment of Benefit workflows as and when they become available. 

What our partners are doing 

Before making changes in Bluechip, check what your practice already uses. If a partner captures AoB, there is no need to capture it again. 

Partner	What they handle	Action needed in BlueChip?
Tyro	Longstanding exemption continues beyond 1 July. Patient pressing the green button = consent. Tyro keeps a digital record. Confirmation for Bluechip’s Easyclaim workflow expected in coming weeks.	None. Nothing changes.
MessageNet / MessageMedia	SMS gateway for sending AoB consent requests to patients using government-approved templates. Contact: 1800 155 228.	Use government-approved SMS templates (see links above).

This document is a general overview based on publicly available government materials and current product plans as at 25 June 2026. It does not constitute legal or professional advice. Refer to RACGP guidance and Services Australia for further information.