Question

I received an SMS, email or push notification asking me to give consent for bulk billing for my appointment. What does this mean, and what do I need to do?

Solution

Some clinics use HotDoc to collect your written consent to bulk bill your appointment to Medicare.

Instead of signing a paper form at the clinic, you can review your visit details online and agree to your Medicare benefit being paid directly to your healthcare professional. This helps your clinic meet Medicare’s consent and record-keeping requirements and makes things faster for you.

Click on the links below for more information:

• What is bulk billing consent?
• Why did I receive this message?
• How do I know the message is really from HotDoc?
• What do I do when I open the link?
• Can I decline or get help?

What is bulk billing consent?

Bulk billing is when your clinic bills Medicare directly for part or all of your appointment fee.

To do this, your clinic needs your written consent. HotDoc provides a secure digital version of the usual Medicare bulk billing form so you can give that consent online instead of on paper.

Why did I receive this message?

You may receive a bulk billing consent request if:

• You recently had an appointment (in person or telehealth) at a clinic that uses HotDoc

• The clinic is bulk billing your visit to Medicare

• The clinic uses HotDoc to capture your consent

You might receive this as:

• An SMS

• An email

• A notification in the HotDoc app

These are sent to the mobile number or email address your clinic has on file.

You may also receive a second notification the next day if your consent has not been recorded.

How do I know the message is really from HotDoc?

Check:

• The website link (URL):

  Links from HotDoc will include one of these: htd.io, hotdoc.com or hotdoc.com.au

• The email address:

  Emails are sent from your clinic’s name, using noreply@hotdoc.com.au

If the website link or email address looks different or suspicious, do not click it. Instead, contact your clinic using their usual phone number to confirm.
 

What do I do when I open the link?

1. Confirm your details. 
   When you tap the link, you’ll be taken to a secure HotDoc page. For security purposes, you will be asked to enter your last name and date of birth, before selecting Verify.
   
   
    

2. Review the details of your consultation, such as the doctor's name and your own details.  
   
    

3. Choose to consent or decline 
   Select "I agree" to give consent for the clinic to bulk bill your visit to Medicare, or "I don't want to be bulk billed" if you don't wish to provide consent.
   
   

   If the patient is 12 years or younger, there will be a field for the guardian to enter their full name and provide consent on the patient's behalf.

    

4. After selecting "I agree", you will see the following confirmation, and your response will be sent to the clinic for them to action. 
   
   

Can I decline or get help?

Yes. If you don’t want to complete consent online, you can decline the request. Your clinic may then contact you to discuss other payment or consent options.

If you:

• Can’t open the link

• Notice any incorrect information

• Aren’t sure if the message is genuine

Please contact your clinic directly. They can confirm the request, answer questions about your billing, and let you know what to do next.