AoB post-assignment requests

Send an electronic Assignment of Benefits (AoB) post-assignment request to a patient for Medicare or DVA. This feature uses SMS and saves the approval in the patient's Account Enquiry.

This feature requires Zedmed v39.5 or later.

Workflow summary

The process starts in billing, where an AoB request is sent to the patient via SMS. The patient accepts it on their phone and the status is shown on the Invoice screen and Account Enquiry. Once accepted, the claim can be sent, or the invoice can be suppressed while waiting for the patient response. Suppressed claims with accepted AoBs can be transmitted collectively.

Step 1 - Send AoB request to patient

This step can be performed by:

• Reception when billing from the Invoice screen.
• Practitioners from the Billing Wizard.

To send the AoB request:

1. Create the invoice.
2. Check that the Payer is either Medicare or DVA.
3. Add the service items.
4. Select the Send Assignment of Benefits Consent button.

   

   Or, if the practitioner can send the AoB request using the Billing Wizard:
   a) Select Medicare or DVA as the payer.
   b) Select Send Assignment of Benefits Consent.

   

5. Reception or the practitioner reviews the Assignment of Benefits Request dialog.
   If required, you can change the mobile number to the person acting on the patient's behalf.

   

6. Select Send.
7. Advise the patient to action the AoB request.
8. Proceed to step 2 and 3, where the patient accepts the AoB and you select Bulk Bill to send the claim, or Suppress.

Step 2 - Patient accepts the AoB

When the patient is sent an AoB request, they:

1. Open the SMS.
2. Tap the URL:
   1. Enter the patient's date of birth.
   2. Select Verify.
   3. Select I am the Patient or I am assisting the Patient.
   4. Select Accept.
3. Optional: select Download copy of consent to save a record.

   

Step 3: Workflow option 1 - Submit claim (approval received)

Proceed with billing:

1. If present, wait for the patient to accept the AoB request.
2. On the invoice, check the request status - it must show Medicare consent received.

   

   • If it shows Medicare Consent Pending, the patient has not yet actioned the request.
   • If it shows Medicare Consent Declined, DO NOT use Medicare or DVA as the Payer.
3. Select DVA or Bulk Bill to submit the claim.
4. A patient's consent is also shown in Account Enquiry under the Bulk Billing Consent column.

   

   You can also view the AoB request in the Patient record > Messages and Message Manager

Step 3: Workflow option 2 - Suppress invoice and transmit later

For this workflow, the AoB acceptance is delayed. 

To suppress invoices and transmit accepted AoB claims later:

1. Select Suppress on the New Invoice screen.



When you are ready to transmit suppressed claims:

2. Open Claims > Claims tab.
3. Select the Not Submitted / Suppressed radio button.
4. Filter by Accepted Assignment of Benefits.
5. Select the Invoice check boxes followed by Transmit Claims.

To learn more, see our Suppress Invoices and Manually Transmit Claims guide.

Using automatic AoB requests

To avoid forgetting to send an AoB request, you can set the Assignment of Benefit to automatically open when billing.

To enable:

1. Go to Branches.
2. Select Branch Options.
3. Select Auto Request Assignment of Benefits.
4. Repeat for each Branch.

When auto AoB requests are enabled, the request dialogue will open when you select Bulk Bill, DVA or Suppress.

Providing an AoB consents for an audit

If a practice is asked to prove that AoB consent was received:

1. Select the invoice in Account Enquiry.
2. Select View AOB Consent.

The patient's post-assignment approval will open and can be downloaded.