The number continues to grow every week. Almost 1,300 of these practices were previously mixed billing. In NSW the GP bulk billing rate is now 85.3 per cent.
In just three months, the bulk billing rate for all Australians has jumped to 81.4 per cent nationwide. This is the largest quarterly jump in bulk billing in 20 years (outside of the COVID pandemic).
For 16–64-year-olds, there has been a 6.9 percentage point increase in the bulk billing rate, the largest quarterly increase on record.
Because of the Government’s delivery, approximately 96 per cent of Australians are now within a 20-minute drive of a registered Medicare Bulk Billing Practice.
In October 2023, before the Federal Government tripled the bulk billing incentive for GPs who bulk bill children under 16 and Commonwealth concession card holders, the bulk billing rate was 75.6 per cent.
As a result of the 2023 changes, more than 9 in 10 visits for these patients are now bulk billed.
Australians can now find their closest Medicare Bulk Billing Practice at health.gov.au/bulk-billing.
This follows the Government’s $8.5B investment to strengthen Medicare. Since November1 last year, bulk billing incentives are now paid to GPs for every patient they bulk bill and fully bulk billing practices also receive an additional payment.
Australian Attorney-General and Ferdseral Me,ber for Greenway Rowland said: “Labor is delivering more bulk billing right here in North West Sydney.
“Our record investment to strengthen Medicare has already been a game changer, with more local practices switching to bulk billing since November 1 last year.
“To get quality healthcare, all you should need is your Medicare card, not your credit card.”
