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Change legal name on Medicare record 011-44110010

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Risks to a customer's privacy have been identified. See Separating Safely - protecting personal details to make sure the customer's personal details are safe before progressing.

This is a Family and domestic violence interaction point. If the customer is with another person, on speaker phone, or already identified with family and domestic violence concerns, continue with the current business conversation. Otherwise, go to the Family and domestic violence procedure to conduct the risk identification and referral process.

This document outlines information on how to change a name on a Medicare record in CDMS.

On this page:

Acceptable documents

Change of legal name

Change name of customer at Group

Record a customer’s long name at Group

Shortening a customer’s long name at Group

Acceptable documents

Table 1

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Step

Action

1

Acceptable documents

2

Customer has changed their legal name

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

If the customer has changed their legal name overseas, go to Step 3.

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.

A customer does not need supporting evidence if:

  • they request to change their married legal name back to their birth or maiden name, and
  • this name was recorded as a previous name in CDMS

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.

3

Customer has changed their legal name overseas

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

A customer may provide a foreign birth or marriage certificate in support of a name change. They can have their legal name updated with Medicare if they also provide:

  • an Australian passport
  • an Australian citizenship certificate
  • a current Australian driver licence, or
  • a foreign passport with a valid Australian visa

If the customer’s name is:

  • an exact match on the supporting documents, and the documents are successfully verified in DVS, update the name at Personal and Group. See Table 2
  • not an exact match, contact Local Peer Support (LPS) who will escalate to a Service Support Officer (SSO):
    • Should the SSO not be able to determine an outcome based on the supporting documents, they will escalate to Medicare Consumer Program Support

If the customer cannot provide an Australian identity document listed above, their name must only be updated at the Group level in CDMS. See Table 3.

4

Customer requests a major variation to change their recorded legal name

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

  • Australian birth certificate or marriage certificate
  • Australian driver 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

5

Change a name at Group level

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

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

  • a current driver licence
  • these documents, where the customer's address shown on the account matches 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
  • a letter from a registered medical practitioner or a registered psychologist if the customer is undergoing change of gender. The letter must specify both legal name and preferred name
  • a 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 the document reference text/document number sighted. For example, 'QLD marriage certificate sighted, reference number 256256/2014'

See Table 3.

6

Change a name for a child aged under 15 years

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

A child cannot have a preferred name recorded (unless undergoing a change of gender). See Change of gender for Medicare enrolments for more details.

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

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.

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

Note: there may be instances where a child’s name is shortened at Group level in CDMS. This is so the child is enrolled on the same Medicare card with other family members. See Table 5 for shortening a customer’s long name at Group.


Change of legal name

Table 2

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Step

Action

1

Determine reason for name change

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

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

2

Request to change legal name

Request received:

3

Request through the phone

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

Authenticate the customer.

Has the customer been authenticated?

  • Yes, go to Step 5
  • No, the customer is unauthenticated and must:
    • call back with more details, or
    • attend a service centre with an approved photographic identity document. Procedure ends here

4

Request received in PaNDA

Requests received in PaNDA require Service Officers to make an outbound call attempt to authenticate the customer and confirm their request.

Was the customer contact successful?

5

Document Verification Service (DVS)

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'.

6

Log in to CDMS

On the CDMS Home page:

  • select Amend on Consumer Details
  • key the Medicare card number in ID Number field
  • select Personal

7

Change customer's legal name details

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.


Change name of customer at Group

Table 3

Expand table

Step

Action

1

Determine reason for name change

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

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

2

Request to change Group name

Request received:

3

Request received by phone

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

Authenticate the customer.

Has the customer been authenticated?

  • Yes, go to Step 4
  • No, the customer is unauthenticated and must:
    • call back with more details, or
    • attend a service centre with an approved photographic identity document
      Procedure ends here

4

Request received in PaNDA

Requests received in PaNDA require Service Officers to make an outbound call attempt to authenticate the customer and confirm their request.

Was the customer contact successful?

5

Document Verification Service (DVS)

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.

6

Log in to CDMS

On the CDMS Home page:

  • select Amend on Consumer Details
  • key the Medicare card number in ID Number field
  • select Group

7

Access group members details

On the Amend Medicare Card Details screen, select:

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

8

Amend name to be embossed on Medicare card

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

  • First name:
    • Where a customer's legal name at Personal is 'Baby', the name must be recorded as 'Baby.' at Group
  • Second name
  • Family name:
    • 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?

9

Change the group contact name

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

  • Check the Group Association check box
  • Key the reference number of the customer on the card in Contact Reference Number field
  • Select Get Details

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

Go to Step 10.

10

Issue a Medicare card

To issue a new Medicare card:

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

Record a customer’s long name at Group

Table 4

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Step

Action

1

Long name

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

  • their 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 has 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 member
  • transfer or copy another member
  • transfer or copy the customer to another enrolment

2

Reduce a long name

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 customer's 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 is automatically reduced by the system where the 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.

3

Record long name

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

4

Issue a Medicare card

To issue a new Medicare card:

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

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

5

Comments

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.


Shortening a customer’s long name at Group

Table 5

Expand table

Step

Action

1

Shortening a long name

Where a customer 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 have a character limit of 56 for each of the Family Name, First Name and Second Name
  • customer's first given and last name can be keyed in full where characters allow

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 is automatically 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.

2

Reduce a long name

If the customer consents to shortening their name:

  • Key the customer's 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 (that 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

3

Issue a Medicare card

To issue a new Medicare card:

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

The customer’s shortened name has been updated, and the Medicare card shows.

4

Comments

Select group Comments tab:

  • add comments in Group to explain why the customer has a short name. For example, 'IRN 3 has long name, shortened to allow inclusion on the family card' (Individual Reference Number (IRN))
  • 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.