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 3
• to change a preferred name at Group level, go to Step 4
• to change a name for a child under 15 years of age, go to Step 5

At Personal a customer must have their legal name recorded.

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

• Australian marriage certificate. Note: ceremonial certificates are not acceptable
• 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)

Change of name overseas: Australian visa holders who do not have Australian citizenship, who 'return' to Australia and ask to change their legal name, must provide:

• A foreign passport in the customer's new name with a current Australian visa (verified)
• See Escalation process for Medicare Eligibility for help

Service Officers must:

• change the name at Personal and Group unless the applicant 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

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.

Escalate the following to Medicare Consumers Program Support. A customer provides an:

• Australian Passport or Australian Citizenship Certificate in their new name, and
• a foreign Marriage certificate or foreign birth certificate

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 applicant 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 applicant'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

Service Officers must record details of the type of document sighted to action the preferred name in the Personal Comments field in CDMS.

See Table 3.

A child must be known by their legal name at both Personal and Group. Note: they cannot have a preferred name (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
• Court Order which states that the child is to be known by a specific name
• Australian birth certificate
• Reissued Australian birth certificate
• Foreign passport with Australian visa

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 if customer is undergoing a change of gender. The letter must specify both 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 they can use documentation received 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, 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.

Request received:

• via phone, go to Step 3
• via 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 and re-enrolments in the Medicare Document Verification Service (DVS) Portal.

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 and re-enrolments in the Medicare Document Verification Service (DVS) Portal.

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, over 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

Note: Service Officers must record the change of name document sighted in the Personal comments tab in CDMS.

See Family registration and confirmation for Medicare Safety Net.

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)

• Register a new customer
• Register customer’s Medicare entitlement

After registering a customer's entitlement:

• Select Group on the Registration Type screen
• The New Medicare Card Details screen will show. This screen shows how the name will look on the Medicare card, however some characters will not appear.

The New Medicare Card Details screen will show.

Reduce the name

In the Name field (which has the long name) delete the characters at the end. Do this until the name fits in the field.

Note: this does not affect the name shown on the 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 Group Contact tab

If the contact person is on the card:

• select the Card Association box

In the Contact Card Reference Number field:

• key the customer's card reference number, for example 1
• select Get Details

The remaining fields populate with the customer's details.

If the group contact is not associated with the card, key their name in the Contact Name field as:

• Last name [insert comma]
• Title [insert space]
• Initial

Complete Address field:

• key locality or postcode
• select the locality from the dropdown box
• start keying the number and street name on the Address line
• select the address from the dropdown box

Select Comments tab:

• key comments if required
• select Validate

This will show the name to be embossed on the Medicare card.

Select:

• Update to confirm the details shown are correct, or
• Change to amend the details

The new Medicare card record has been updated in CDMS. The Medicare number will show.

See Family registration and confirmation for Medicare Safety Net.

• Register a new customer to existing Medicare card
• Register customer's Medicare entitlement

Personal name fields

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

After registering a customer's entitlement:

• Select Group on the Registration Type screen
• An error message may show as there are over 25 characters
• Select Members tab
• Select Members button

Reduce the name

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

Issue a 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 Comments tab:

• Key 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

Select:

• Update to confirm the details shown, or
• Change to amend the details, as required

The new Medicare card record has been updated in the CDMS. The Medicare number will show.

See Family registration and confirmation for Medicare Safety Net.