Change legal name on Medicare record 011-44110010

• to change a legal name at Personal level, go to Step 2
• for a major variation of name at Personal level, go to Step 4
• to change a preferred name at Group level, go to Step 5
• to change a name for a child under 15 years of age, go to Step 6

A customer must have their legal name recorded at Personal in CDMS.

When a customer has changed their legal name, the following documents are acceptable:

• Australian marriage certificate
• Australian birth certificate
• Australian Certificate of Name change
• Reissued Australian birth certificate in the new name
• Birth certificates for Northern Territory (NT) with Aboriginal Population Record (APR)

Note: ceremonial certificates are not acceptable.

Changing a name at Personal can occur:

• where a name has previously been changed at Group, and
• the Comment field indicates that the documents sighted would be sufficient to allow a name to be amended at Personal (for example, a marriage certificate)

See Table 2.

Service Officers must escalate the following requests to change a legal name to Medicare Consumers Program Support where:

• a customer provides an:
• Australian Passport or Australian Citizenship Certificate in their new name, and
• a foreign Marriage certificate or foreign birth certificate
• the customer provides a foreign passport in the customer's new name with a current Australian visa (verified)

See Escalation process for Medicare Eligibility.

For a major variation, the customer can provide the following documents:

• Australian birth certificate or marriage certificate
• Australian Drivers licence
• Australian or foreign Passport
• Australian Certificate of Name change
• Australian Citizenship Certificate
• ImmiCard

Service Officers must:

• change the name at Personal and Group unless the customer produces documents to support a preferred name change at Group, see Table 2, and
• if this customer is the group contact, also change the name of the group contact, see Table 3

At Group, a person may be known by their legal name or preferred name.

Acceptable documents to change a preferred name at Group can include:

• Current driver's licence
• For these documents, the customer's address shown on the account must match the address held on the Medicare record:
• Utility accounts (telephone, gas, or electricity) no more than 6 months old
• Current bank accounts or statements
• Centrelink correspondence
• Letter from a registered medical practitioner or a registered psychologist if the customer is undergoing change of gender. Letter must specify both legal name and preferred name
• Ceremonial marriage certificate

Where DVS has not been used (change made in a service centre)

• Service Officers must record details of the type of document sighted to action the preferred name in the Personal Comments field in CDMS
• Comments must include that the document reference text/document number sighted. For example, QLD Marriage certificate sighted, reference number 256256/2014

See Table 3.

A child must be known by their legal name at both Personal and Group.

Note: a child cannot have a preferred name recorded (unless undergoing a change of gender).

If the parent/guardian has disclosed that the reason for the name change relates to family and domestic violence, see the Family and Domestic Violence Support Model process.

Documents required to change the name of a child at both Personal and Group:

• Australian Certificate of Name Change
• Australian birth certificate
• Reissued Australian birth certificate
• Foreign passport with Australian visa

Note: in cases of adoption, Court Orders can state if the child is to be known by a specific name. The Court Order is sufficient to change the child’s legal name at both Personal and Group.

Acceptable documents to change a name of a child at Group undergoing change of gender includes, but is not limited to:

• A letter from a registered medical practitioner or a registered psychologist. The letter must include the customer’s legal name and preferred name
• Centrelink correspondence

Service Officers must:

• contact a Medicare and Aged Care - Local Peer Support (LPS) for advice, if unsure whether provided documentation can be used to change a child's name
• record details of the type of document sighted to action the change of name in the Personal Comments field in the CDMS

Has the customer disclosed the name change is related to family and domestic violence?

• Yes, see Family and domestic violence, and follow the Family and Domestic Violence Support Model process
• No, Service Officers must:
• change the name at Personal and Group unless the customer produces documents to support a preferred name change at Group
• if this customer is the group contact, also change the name of the group contact, see Table 3
• go to Step 2

Note: Service Officers must update records correctly, especially when the request is due to a change of circumstances.

Request received:

• through phone, go to Step 3
• through PaNDA, go to Step 4
• in a service centre:
• authenticate the customer, see Authenticating a Medicare customer
• if the Service Officer is satisfied with supporting documents, Document Verification Service (DVS) is not required, go to Step 5

The caller must be the person who is changing their name.

Authenticate the customer.

Has the customer been authenticated?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, ask the person to email or mail supporting documents. Procedure ends here

To verify documents for a change of name, see Table 1 in the Identity verification for Medicare enrolments, re-enrolments and extensions in the Medicare Document Verification Service (DVS) Portal.

Where DVS has not been used (change made in a service centre), Service Officers must record comments in the customer’s Personal tab in CDMS. Comments must include that the document reference text/document number has been sighted. For example, QLD Marriage certificate sighted, reference number 256256/2014.

On the CDMS Home page:

• select Amend on consumer details
• key the Medicare card number in ID Number field
• select Personal

In Consumers, select the radio button against the customer to be changed.

In Personal Details, amend the customer's name details, as required:

• Title
• Family name
• First name
• Second name
• Name suffix

If the customer has only one name:

• Key the name in the Family Name field
• Check the Only Name Indicator checkbox
• Check to make sure other name fields are blank

Check if the customer needs to change their bank account details to match their name change.

Select Validate, Validate and Update to confirm all details.

Note: when a name is changed at Personal level, the name must be changed at Group level and a new Medicare card issued. See Table 3.

Has the customer disclosed the name change is related to family and domestic violence?

• Yes, see Family and domestic violence, and follow the Family and Domestic Violence Support Model process
• No, go to Step 2

Note: Service Officers must make sure they update records correctly, especially when there is an indication of a change of circumstances.

To verify documents for a change of name, see Table 1 in the Identity verification for Medicare enrolments, re-enrolments and extensions in the Medicare Document Verification Service (DVS) Portal.

Where DVS has not been used (change made in a service centre), Service Officers must record comments in the customer’s Personal tab in CDMS. Comments must include that the document reference text/document number has been sighted. For example, QLD Marriage certificate sighted, reference number 256256/2014.

Note: Service Officers do not have to verify documents again if they completed this step as part of a personal name change.

On the CDMS Home page:

• select Amend on consumer details
• key the Medicare card number in ID Number field
• select Group

On the Amend Medicare Card Details screen, select:

• Members tab - Group Member Details will show
• Members - Medicare Card Details screen will show

On the Medicare Card Details screen, key the following name details, as required:

• First name
• Second name
• Family name:
• At Personal level, use roman numerals for a family name suffix. For example, II or III if the customer has requested this to be included on the Medicare card
• Select Validate:
• Select OK to acknowledge the message 'details are acceptable or invalid'. If not acceptable, change the details
• Select Return to return to the Amend Medicare Card Details screen

Check before issuing a Medicare card. Is the person the group contact?

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No, go to Step 7

On the Amend Medicare Card Details screen, select the Name/Address tab:

• check the Group Association check box
• key the reference number of the person on the card in Contact Reference Number field
• select Get Details

The Contact name field populates with the person's name.

Go to Step 7.

To issue a new Medicare card:

• select Card Requests tab
• tick the required checkbox to request:
• Replace Current Card
• Duplicate Current Card
• Duplicate Replacement Card
• select Replacement Reason from the dropdown box
• select Card Request Source from the dropdown box
• select Validate, Validate and Update to confirm the details shown

A name is considered long when any of the following apply:

• the person's last name has more than 18 characters
• their first given name has more than 12 characters, or
• the combination of their first name, initial and family name have more than 25 characters (including spaces between the names)

If a customer requires a long name card they must:

• be enrolled on a card of their own, or
• consent to shortening their name at Group

For a long name enrolment record, it is not possible to:

• add another person
• transfer or copy another person
• transfer or copy to another enrolment

If a customer requests a long name card due to a name change or to amend a previously shortened name at Group in CDMS:

• Key the customers Medicare card number on the Amendment Search screen
• Select Group
• On the Amend Medicare Card Details screen select the Members tab
• Under the Group Members Details select Members

The customer’s name will automatically be reduced by the system where a name has more than 25 characters. This is the combination of characters of the first name, middle initial, family name and spaces between the names.

Note: if the combination of a customer’s first name, middle initial, and family name is 26 characters removing the middle initial may mean a long name card is not required.

To record a long name on the customer’s Medicare card:

• select the Long Name tab
• key the customer's names into each field in order as below:
• First name
• Second initial, and
• Family name
• select Validate to update details

To issue a new Medicare card:

• select Card Requests tab
• tick the required checkbox to request:
• Replace Current Card
• Duplicate Current Card
• Duplicate Replacement Card
• select Replacement Reason from the dropdown box
• select Card Request Source from the dropdown box
• select Validate, Validate and Update to confirm the details shown

The customer’s long name has been updated and the Medicare card will show.

If documents have been verified for a change of name, see Table 1 in the Identity verification for Medicare enrolments, re-enrolments and extensions in the Medicare Document Verification Service (DVS) Portal.

Where DVS has not been used (change made in a service centre)

• Service Officers must record details of the type of document sighted to action the preferred name in the Personal Comments field in CDMS
• Comments must include that the document reference text/document number has been sighted. For example, QLD Marriage certificate sighted, reference number 256256/2014

Note: Service Officers do not have to verify documents again if they completed this step as part of a personal name change.

Where a person has a long legal name, Medicare allows the shortening of names at Group to make sure family members are on the same card.

A customer must have their legal name recorded at Personal in CDMS. The:

• fields in personal name do not have a character limit
• customer's first given and last name can be keyed in full

If a customer has a long name they can:

• be enrolled on a Medicare card of their own, or
• shorten their name at Group so they can be added to the family Medicare card

Service Officers must discuss the options with the customer and confirm their preference.

The customer’s name will automatically be reduced by the system where a name has more than 25 characters. This is the combination of characters of the first name, middle initial, family name and spaces between the names.

Note: if a customer’s first name, middle initial, and family name totals 26 characters, removing the middle initial may mean shortening the long name is not required.

If the customer consents to shortening their name:

• Key the customers Medicare card number on the Amendment Search screen
• Select Group
• On the Amend Medicare Card Details screen select the Members tab
• Under the Group Members Details select Members
• In the Name field (which has the long name) delete the characters at the end. Do this until the name fits in the field.
• Select Validate and Return

Examples

• Daisy Rose Chrysanthemum-Petunia could be shortened to Daisy Chrysanthemum-Petu at Group level
• Chrysanthemum Flower (first name) could be shortened to Chry Flower at Group level

To issue a new Medicare card:

• select Card Requests tab
• tick the required checkbox to request:
• Replace Current Card
• Duplicate Current Card
• Duplicate Replacement Card
• select Replacement Reason from the dropdown box
• select Card Request Source from the dropdown box
• select Validate, Validate and Update to confirm the details shown

The customer’s shortened name has been updated and the Medicare card will show.

Select group Comments tab:

• add comments in Group to explain why the person has a short name. For example, long name, shortened to allow inclusion on the family card
• select Validate, Validate and Update. This confirms the details

If documents have been verified for a change of name, see Table 1 in the Identity verification for Medicare enrolments, re-enrolments and extensions in the Medicare Document Verification Service (DVS) Portal for mandatory CDMS comments.

Where DVS has not been used (change made in a service centre)

• Service Officers must record details of the type of document sighted to action the preferred name in the Personal Comments field in CDMS
• Comments must include that the document reference text/document number has been sighted. For example, QLD Marriage certificate sighted, reference number 256256/2014

Note: Service Officers do not have to verify documents again if they completed this step as part of a personal name change.