# ConsentAssist

> ConsentAssist is an Australian digital consent management platform purpose-built for the Medicare Assignment of Benefit (AOB) bulk billing consent requirements that became mandatory on 1 July 2026.

## What is ConsentAssist?

ConsentAssist is a web-based software application that enables Australian GP practices and aged care facilities to capture, store, and audit patient consent for Medicare bulk billing (Assignment of Benefit) in compliance with Section 89A of the Health Insurance Act 1973.

It was designed by Dr Sudheer Talari, a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP) and medical educator, to solve a specific compliance problem: from 1 July 2026, every Australian doctor who bulk bills must obtain explicit written or digital consent from the patient (or their substitute decision-maker) before assigning the Medicare benefit. The old implied-consent model is no longer valid.

## Who is it for?

ConsentAssist serves two distinct audiences:

### 1. GP Practices (General Practice Clinics)
- GP clinics, medical centres, and specialist practices that bulk bill Medicare
- Each doctor receives a unique, permanent QR code
- Patients scan the QR code with their phone camera — no app download required
- The patient enters their name, reads the AOB consent statement, and taps "I consent"
- The consent record is saved instantly with date, time, and doctor details
- All consents are visible across all doctors in a single practice dashboard
- Records can be exported as CSV at any time
- Works for in-person and telehealth consultations

### 2. Aged Care Facilities (Residential Aged Care)
- Residential aged care facilities and nursing homes where visiting doctors bulk bill Medicare
- Handles two types of residents:
  - **Capable residents**: consent captured directly on any device (tablet, phone, desktop)
  - **Residents lacking capacity** (e.g., advanced dementia): ConsentAssist automatically emails the nominated family member or Substitute Decision Maker (SDM) a consent request for each doctor visit. The family member clicks "Approve Consent" — no account or login required.
- Residents can be uploaded in bulk via CSV template
- Capacity status is tracked per resident and can be updated at any time
- Full audit trail for every consent and family approval

## Key Compliance Details

- **Regulatory basis**: Section 89A of the Health Insurance Act 1973 (Cth)
- **Mandatory from**: 1 July 2026
- **Record retention**: 2 years minimum (as required by §89A)
- **Data storage**: Australian-region encrypted cloud infrastructure
- **Encryption**: AES-256 at rest, TLS 1.3 in transit
- **Privacy**: Compliant with the Australian Privacy Act 1988 and Australian Privacy Principles (APPs)
- **Substitute decision-makers**: Aligned with Department of Health and Aged Care AOB FAQ provisions

## Pricing

### GP Practice
- Monthly Starter: $49/month (up to 3 doctors)
- Monthly Standard: $99/month (up to 10 doctors) — most popular
- Monthly Multi-Site: $199/month (up to 5 locations, unlimited doctors)
- Annual plans: 20% discount on all monthly prices
- Lifetime Access: $997 AUD one-time payment — includes all future updates forever

### Aged Care Facility
- Monthly Small: $149/month (up to 50 residents)
- Monthly Standard: $249/month (up to 120 residents) — most popular
- Monthly Large: $399/month (unlimited residents)
- Annual plans: 20% discount on all monthly prices
- Lifetime Access: $997 AUD one-time payment per site — includes all future updates forever

All plans include: unlimited consents, CSV export, email support, and free future regulatory updates.

## Free Future Updates

All ConsentAssist plans include free future updates. This means:
- Any changes to Medicare AOB consent requirements are implemented at no extra cost
- New consent workflow features are included automatically
- Regulatory compliance updates are pushed to all customers without additional charges

## Setup Time

- GP Practice: fully set up in under 10 minutes
- Aged Care Facility: fully set up in under 15 minutes (including CSV bulk resident import)
- No IT support or technical knowledge required

## Technology

- Web-based application — works on all devices (iPhone, Android, iPad, desktop)
- No app download required for patients or family members
- Patient consent form opens directly in the phone's web browser via QR code scan
- Login for practice/facility staff uses email OTP (one-time code) — no password required

## Contact and Support

- Website: https://consentassist.care
- Contact form: https://consentassist.care/contact
- Designed by: Dr Sudheer Talari, FRACGP, medical educator

## Pages

- Home (audience gateway): https://consentassist.care/
- GP Practice landing page: https://consentassist.care/gp-practice
- Aged Care Facility landing page: https://consentassist.care/aged-care-facility
- Pricing: https://consentassist.care/pricing
- About: https://consentassist.care/about
- Contact: https://consentassist.care/contact
- Register: https://consentassist.care/register
- Privacy Policy: https://consentassist.care/privacy
- Terms of Service: https://consentassist.care/terms