‘A win’ for patients as GP bulk billing rates continue to rise

Patients have received encouraging news as GP bulk-billing rates steadily increase month by month, following the Federal Government’s introduction of incentives for doctors.

According to the latest Medicare billing data, over a million additional doctor visits have been bulk-billed since November 2023, pushing Australia’s bulk-billing rate up by 3.4 percent to reach 79 percent in May.

The increase is evident across all states and territories, with GP clinics around the country making the shift back to bulk billing, Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said.

Butler also highlighted that Medicare payments for doctors in major cities who bulk bill for a standard consult had increased by 34 per cent, while rural and regional doctors had received an extra 50 per cent.

New data released today shows bulk billing is improving each month across all states and territories. This follows a decade of cuts and neglect from the Liberals. This is hard work, it’s going to take time but we have a clear plan and we are starting to see a rise in bulk billing

— Mark Butler MP (@Mark_Butler_MP) June 5, 2024

The states with historically lower bulk-billing rates have seen the most significant improvements, with Tasmania increasing by 8.1 percent and the ACT by 5.5 percent.

NSW leads with the highest bulk-billing rate nationwide, exceeding 80 percent, while the ACT has the lowest at 57 percent. Other states and the Northern Territory maintain rates above 70 percent.

With the rise in bulk-billing rates, families with children under 16, pensioners and other concession cardholders, who make up more than three out of five visits to a GP, are finding it easier to access healthcare services.

Butler described the development as “a win all round – for patients, doctors and the health system”.

“Doctors’ groups have called our tripling of the bulk billing incentive a ‘game changer’ – and clearly it is.

“After a decade of cuts and neglect to Medicare by the Liberals bulk billing was in freefall.

“The pressure on general practice began when Peter Dutton was Health Minister and he tried to do away with bulk billing by introducing a fee on every single visit to the GP, and then started a six-year freeze on Medicare rebates.

“The Albanese Government committed to making it easier for people to see a bulk billing doctor – and that is exactly what is happening right around the country, particularly in rural and regional Australia.”

-with AAP.