Medicare

What is changing?

There are two relevant Medicare updates from 1 July 2026:

  1. Medicare pricing changes
    Medicare item fees are changing from 1 July 2026. SUNIX Vision Elite practices should update to version 26.1.7 or later to apply the new Medicare pricing.
  2. Medicare Assignment of Benefit changes
    The Australian Government has introduced changes to the way Assignment of Benefit (AoB) may be recorded for bulk billed Medicare services.
  • The Government has also advised that there will be a 12-month transition period. During this period, verbal Assignment of Benefit can continue to be used for bulk billed patients while practices and software vendors transition to the updated processes.

How will this affect my practice?

For most SUNIX practices, there is no immediate disruption to Medicare claiming from 1 July 2026.

Practices should still update SUNIX Vision Elite to version 26.1.7 or later for the Medicare pricing update.

For the Assignment of Benefit changes, SUNIX is preparing a staged rollout of updated AoB options. These will allow practices to progressively adopt the updated Medicare AoB processes during the transition period.

What AoB options will SUNIX provide?

SUNIX is releasing updated AoB functionality in stages.

The first stage allows practices to print updated Assignment of Benefit forms for completion using a physical signature. This is available in SUNIX Vision Elite version 26.1.7 or later.

Additional electronic AoB options are being prepared and will be released during the Government’s transition period. These options are intended to make it easier for practices to obtain and retain patient Assignment of Benefit records in a practical and compliant manner.

Some advanced electronic and cloud-based AoB functionality will be available only for practices using SUNIX Vision NEXT.

Do I need to change my process immediately on 1 July 2026?

Based on the Government’s latest advice, practices have a 12-month transition period for the updated AoB requirements.

This means practices can continue using the existing verbal Assignment of Benefit process during the transition period, while preparing for the updated requirements.

Practices that wish to start using updated paper AoB forms can do so by updating SUNIX Vision Elite to version 26.1.7 or later.

Can I update now?

Yes.

Practices with a current SUNIX Support & Maintenance agreement can update SUNIX Vision Elite to version 26.1.7 or later.

Practices without an active Support & Maintenance agreement should contact SUNIX Support to arrange access to the update and continued Medicare functionality.

If you have any questions about updating SUNIX Vision or preparing for the Medicare AoB changes, please contact SUNIX Support.

How do I use Medicare Web Services?

  • Ensure your practice has an ongoing active Support & Maintenance subscription agreement
  • Upgrade your SUNIX Vision Practice Management System to the latest version (available here)
  • Download and follow the SUNIX Medicare Guides below:

Icon Medicare (Web Services) Setup guide

Icon PRODA step by step guide

Icon Renew B2B Device (Apply every 6 Months)

Icon Medicare (Web Services) Usage Guide

Further information

For official Government information about the Medicare Assignment of Benefit changes, please refer to: