The government said it was the largest quarterly increase on record outside of the COVID pandemic, where rates were inflated on the back of the mandatory bulk-billing of vaccine consults.<\/p>\n
“We promised Australians more bulk-billing and that is what we have delivered,” Health Minister Mark Butler said.<\/p>\n
“More Australians are finding it easier to find a bulk-billing doctor in every state and territory.<\/p>\n
“Doctors and practices are moving back to bulk-billing because it works for patients and it works for their practices.”<\/p>\n
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In the lead up to the 2025 election, Labor promised to make nine out of 10 GP visits free. (ABC News: Brendan Esposito)<\/p>\n
The figures provide the first true glimpse into the impact of a cornerstone bulk-billing pre-election commitment, which came into effect in November.<\/p>\n
In the lead up to the 2025 election, Labor promised to make nine out of 10 GP visits free<\/a> for patients by 2030 through the expansion of bulk-billing incentives, as part of an $8.5 billion pre-election pitch aimed at voters struggling with rising healthcare costs.<\/p>\n Bulk-billing incentives are payments designed to encourage doctors to provide their services at no cost to their patients.<\/p>\n Previously, they were only given to doctors who saw children and concession card holders without charging an out-of-pocket fee.<\/p>\n Tripling that incentive in 2023 initially arrested the decline in bulk-billing and brought a small improvement, however it later stagnated, prompting the government’s move to expand the incentive to everyone.<\/p>\n Scepticism over target<\/p>\n Since November, any GP who bulk-bills now receives a Medicare payment consisting of the rebate and an incentive payment.<\/p>\n For a standard consult by doctors in metropolitan areas that is about $63.50.<\/p>\n GP visits to become free for most under $8.5b Labor Medicare promise<\/a><\/p>\n Labor says nine out of 10 GP visits will be free from out-of-pocket expenses by 2030 under an $8.5 billion Medicare election funding promise.<\/p>\n As a sweetener, any clinic that bulk-bills everyone they see also receives an additional quarterly payment \u2014 set at 12.5 per cent of a practice’s Medicare billing.<\/p>\n The government said there are now more than 3,400 Medicare Bulk Billing Practices across the country, 1,300 of which previously did mixed billing.<\/p>\n Bulk-billing rates are not indicative of the percentage of people being bulk-billed, and the national rate is also inflated by children and elderly people who are bulk-billed at a much higher rate than other Australians.<\/p>\n There has been scepticism in the sector about whether the government’s promise could be fully delivered, with some doctors saying it would encourage shorter consultations and could compromise quality care<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n