Bulk Billing Consent for NDIS and Home Visits
Extending Consent Rules Beyond the Clinic
While much of the discussion around the 1 July 2026 consent changes centers on residential aged care, the rules apply equally to all bulk-billed services. This includes GP visits to NDIS Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), Supported Independent Living (SIL) homes, retirement villages, and private residences. If you are bulk billing a home visit, you must capture a signature.
Collecting Consent At the Door
When conducting home visits, you have two primary options for capturing consent with GPConsent:
- Mobile Bedside Capture: Bring up the patient's record on your smartphone or tablet at the end of the consult. Hand the device to the patient or their support worker/guardian to sign on-screen.
- Pre-Visit Consent: If you know the patient's details and the planned MBS item (e.g., standard home visit item 5020), you can send the consent link via SMS in advance. The patient signs before you even arrive, meaning you only need to confirm the service clinically.
NDIS Support Worker Exclusions
Just like aged care, NDIS house staff and support workers cannot sign Medicare Assignment of Benefit forms on behalf of participants. Only the participant or their legal guardian/representative may sign. GPConsent's workflows are tailored to NDIS guidelines, ensuring that the correct relationship is captured and validated before saving the record.