Avoiding the doctor due to cost is at a 10-year high. Here’s why GP bulk billing needs to change

‘Despite the bipartisanship it looks likely that Medicare and bulk billing will figure prominently in the election campaign’ Composite: Guardian

Labor has announced a huge boost to Medicare funding aimed at increasing the rate of bulk billing by GPs. In 2023 the government tripled the bulk-billing incentive for doctors who bulk billed pensioners, concession card holders and children. Labor has now said it will expand that incentive to all Medicare cardholders from November and that the incentive will be increased in regional and remote areas.

The government will pay an additional 12.5% loading on Medicare rebates to practices that bulk bill all their patients.