What Is Bulk Billing?

Bulk Billing is a payment option under the medicare system of universal health insurance in Australia. It covers a certain range of health services which is listed in the medicare benefits. Usually, the doctors are paid 85% of the fee directly by the government for billing the patient via the medicare card. The doctors accepts the medicare benefits as a full payment for the service provided. The doctor sends the bill directly to Medicare. The patients cannot be charged additionally for the service. They have the right to collect fee from the patients directly.

Most of the general practitioner services are bulk billed. The key purpose of billing is to provide an economic constraint on medical charges. If the patients are bulk billed, then the patients medicare card will be swiped and the patients will be asked to sign in a form and will not need to pay anything. Currently, the standard consultation fee for per visit is $37. Medicare also provides an extra payments to doctors every time for bulk billing pensioners, health care card holders and for those who are aged 16 and under. If they bulk bill the above mentioned patients, the patients will be asked to sign in a form after the appointment and will be given a copy of the form. They will not be charged for any other costs such as booking of the appointment, charge for the bandages. If the patient has more than one visit during the same day, in that case they will not be bulk billed for each and every service. Some of the medical services are subsidised by the Australian Government.

The correct way to manually bulk bill is:

• Complete the form
• Have the form signed and dated by the patient
• Give a copy of the form to the patient
• You must complete a DB1 Header (In hospitals services header) form and submit it with a Billing form, in order to make a claim.

There are different types of services available. These are used while claiming the medicare services.

• DB1H: In hospital Services Header
• DB1N: Out of hospital Header
• DB2-GP: General Practitioner Voucher
• DB2-OP: Optometrist Voucher
• DB2-OT: Other Practitioner Voucher
• DB1N-AH: Allied Health Header
• DB2-AH: Allied Health Voucher
• DB3: Pathologist Voucher
• DB4: General, Specialist and Diagnostic Voucher
• DB4E: Electronically Transmitted Claims Voucher
• DB5: Pathology (Continuation form)- Carbon only
• DB1-DP: Allied Health Chronic Disease Dental Scheme Header
• DB2-DP: Allied Health Chronic Disease Dental Scheme Voucher
• DB1N-DB: Teen Dental Header
• DB2-DB: Teen Dental Voucher