Newly released data shows there has been over two million additional bulk billed visits since the Albanese Government tripled the bulk billing incentive, with close to a million additional free visits in May.
Five million Australians have also saved more than $414 million on the cost of their medicines, thanks to the Albanese Government’s cheaper medicines policies, including our landmark 60-day prescriptions reforms and the largest cut to the maximum patient copayment in the 75-year history of the PBS.
This week, the Albanese Government also delivered the second largest increase to Medicare rebates in 30 years, with $900 million in additional Medicare funding. This comes on top of the $940 million delivered last year, in the largest increase in 30 years.
This means that in just two years, the Albanese Government has increased Medicare rebates by twice as much as the former government did in their nine years in office.
Seven months of official Medicare billing data shows that after a decade of cuts and neglect from the Liberals, the slide in the GP bulk billing rate has stopped and bulk billing rates continue to improve each month.
The GP bulk billing rate was 79.0% in May, a rise of 3.4% since the higher bulk billing incentives came into effect on 1 November.
| Oct 2023 (before incentive increase) | Nov 2023 | Dec 2023 | Jan 2024 | Feb 2024 | Mar 2024 | April 2024 | May 2024 | % pt change since Oct 2023 | Estimated additional bulk billed GP visits | |
| NSW | 80.6% | 81.2% | 82.3% | 81.2% | 81.4% | 82.2% | 82.8% | 83.3% | 2.7 | 740,488 |
| VIC | 76.8% | 77.4% | 78.3% | 77.8% | 78.1% | 78.5% | 79.5% | 79.8% | 3.0 | 418,009 |
| QLD | 73.6% | 74.5% | 75.8% | 74.5% | 74.9% | 76.1% | 77.3% | 77.0% | 3.4 | 486,928 |
| SA | 70.7% | 73.2% | 74.5% | 73.8% | 73.9% | 74.4% | 76.3% | 75.7% | 5.0 | 153,449 |
| WA | 68.4% | 69.6% | 70.8% | 69.4% | 69.9% | 70.4% | 70.8% | 72.6% | 4.2 | 74,693 |
| TAS | 66.3% | 68.9% | 72.0% | 70.4% | 70.7% | 71.3% | 73.4% | 74.4% | 8.1 | 59,244 |
| NT | 71.5% | 73.0% | 73.6% | 74.0% | 73.6% | 75.5% | 75.1% | 76.3% | 4.8 | 33,587 |
| ACT | 51.5% | 51.4% | 53.4% | 51.6% | 51.5% | 52.7% | 56.4% | 57.0% | 5.5 | 17,417 |
| Australia | 75.6% | 76.5% | 77.7% | 76.6% | 77.0% | 77.7% | 78.6% | 79.0% | 3.4 | 2,096,778 |
The increase in the bulk billing rate means Australians had over 915,000 estimated additional trips to the GP fully bulk billed in May alone, providing important cost of living relief to Australian households.
Australians living in regional and rural areas have seen the biggest increases, with an estimated additional 900,000 bulk billed visits since the higher bulk billing incentives came into effect.
Families with children under 16, pensioners and other concession cardholders are finding it easier to see a bulk billing doctor. Together, these patients make up more than 3 out of 5 visits to a GP, on average.
For a doctor in a major city, the Medicare payment they get to bulk bill these patients for a standard consult has increased by 34%. For a doctor in regional and rural Australia, the Medicare payment has increased by around 50%.
The GP bulk billing rate measures the proportion of all GP visits under Medicare that involved no patient payment.
Quotes attributable to Minister Butler:
“Doctors’ groups have called our tripling of the bulk billing incentive a ‘game changer’ – and close to one million additional free visits to the GP in May prove that it is one.
“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.”
“This is a win all round – for patients, doctors and the health system – and it is helping make Medicare stronger.”
