Australians in rural and regional Victoria have seen some of the largest increases in bulk billing in the country, since the Albanese Government tripled the bulk billing incentive.
The landmark Budget initiative is a key part of the Government’s $6.1 billion Strengthening Medicare reforms and is the largest investment in bulk billing in Medicare’s 40-year history.
In October, before the incentive was tripled on 1 November, 72.3% of all GP visits were bulk billed across the 10 electorates that make up make up rural and regional Victoria. By December that increased by 4.7 percentage points to 77.0%.
The increase in the bulk billing rate means an estimated 60,000 additional trips to the GP were bulk billed in regional Victoria since the tripled incentive began on 1 November.
Those additional bulk billed GP visits means people in regional Victoria have saved an estimated $2.5 million in GP gap fees across November and December, helping to ease the cost-of-living.
People in the electorate of Mallee, represented by Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health Anne Webster, have benefitted from a 3.8 percentage point increase in the bulk billing rate, from 78.2% in October to 82.0% in December. An estimated 4,000 additional trips to the GP were bulk billed in November and December, saving locals an estimated $170,000 in gap fees.
Australians in the electorate of Bendigo have seen an 8.0 percentage point increase in the bulk billing rate, from 67.3% in October to 75.3% in December. An estimated 9,000 additional trips to the GP were bulk billed in November and December, saving locals an estimated $360,000 in gap fees.
Residents in the electorate of Corangamite have seen a 7.1 percentage point increase in the bulk billing rate, from 65.7% in October to 72.8% in December. An estimated 10,000 additional trips to the GP were bulk billed in November and December, saving locals an estimated $400,000 in gap fees.
People in the electorate of Ballarat have seen a 4.4 percentage point increase in the bulk billing rate, from 78.7% in October to 83.1% in December. An estimated 6,200 additional trips to the GP were bulk billed in November and December, saving locals an estimated $270,000 in gap fees.
The 10 electorates included in the analysis include Ballarat, Bendigo, Casey, Corangamite, Flinders, Gippsland, Indi, Mallee, Nicholls, Wannon.
Bulk billing had been falling after a decade of cuts and neglect to Medicare by the former Government that began when Peter Dutton froze Medicare rebates as Health Minister.
Thanks to the Albanese Government, bulk billing has now stabilised and begun to rise again, enabling GPs to bulk bill more patients who need care the most.
The bulk billing incentive is paid on top of the standard Medicare benefit when doctors bulk bill children under 16, pensioners and other Commonwealth concession card holders.
The GP bulk billing rate throughout Victoria has increased by 1.5 percentage points to 78.3%, saving residents across the state $3 million in gap fees in just two months.
Nationally, the GP bulk billing rate has risen by 2.1 percentage points to 77.7%.
The GP bulk billing rate measures the proportion of all GP visits 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 clearly it is.
“The Albanese Government committed to making it easier for people to see a bulk billing doctor – and the first two months of data show that is exactly what is happening right around the country, and particularly in rural and regional Australia.”
Quotes attributable to Minister King:
“Every extra bulk billed visit to a GP means one less gap fee, taking pressure off household budgets.
“This is a win all round – for patients, doctors and the health system – and it is helping make Medicare stronger than it has ever been since Labor introduced it 40 years ago.”
Quotes attributable to Assistant Minister Kearney:
“As a former nurse, I worked in the hospital system during the early days of Medicare.”
“Medicare changes lives and saves lives. It means single mums, elderly people, kids and all Australians have access to healthcare.
“Labor’s governments have fought tooth and nail for the last forty years to protect and strengthen Medicare. Modern Australia wouldn’t be what it is today without Medicare.”
Quotes attributable to Lisa Chesters MP:
“Labor introduced Medicare and only Labor can be trusted to strengthen and protect it.
“People in Bendigo and regional Victoria are finding it easier to see a bulk billing doctor because of Labor’s efforts to strengthen Medicare.”
Quotes attributable to Libby Coker MP:
“Our community members on the Bellarine, Surf Coast, and across Golden Plains and the greater Geelong region have been some of the biggest winners from the Albanese Government’s investment in bulk billing.
“This is delivering significant cost of living relief for people in our community.”
