More than one name can be recorded for a person who is a health care client. That is, this field is a multiple occurring field. At least one name must be recorded for each person and each name must have an appropriate name type.

One name is sufficient, however, where the person offers more than one name, clarification should be obtained from the person to ensure accurate identification of the person and recording of the various names. Both currently used names, as well as names by which the person has previously been known, should be recorded if these are known.

Field value definitions for name type codes are:

Preferred name (P): is the name by which the person chooses to be identified.

There should only be one preferred name recorded for a person. Where the person changes their preferred name, record the previously recorded preferred name as an alias name. Preferred name is the default name type (i.e. if only one name is recorded it should be the person's Preferred name). There must be a Preferred name recorded except for unnamed newborns where the Newborn name is the only name recorded.

Also, if the person is a health care client, record his/her Medicare card name if different to the Preferred name, and any known Alias names.

Medicare card name (M): is the person's name as it appears on their Medicare card. The name stated on the Medicare card is required for all electronic Medicare claim lodgement. If the Preferred name of the person is different to the name on the Medicare card, the Medicare card name should also be recorded.

Newborn name (N): type is reserved for the identification of unnamed newborn babies.

Alias Name (A): is any other name that a person is also known by, or has been known by in the past; that is, all alias names. This includes misspelt names or name variations that are to be retained as they have been used to identify this person. More than one alias name may be recorded for a person.

Where a person provides a name that can be in more than one Name type category, the Name type with the highest order of precedence should be used. Multiple versions of the same name can however be recorded.