Bulk Billing
Monday 22 June 2026
I am proud to be part of the Albanese Labor Government which is investing $8.5 billion dollars to strengthen Medicare and deliver more free health care for Australians.
This free access to a GP is life-changing for many Australians, because it means they can go to the doctor when they need to, not just when they can afford to.
Labor has made it easier for Australians to see a GP for free by expanding bulk billing incentives and boosting payments to GP clinics that bulk bill every patient.
Our most recent reform came into effect on the 1st of November last year.
From that date, and for the first time, bulk billing incentives are paid to GPs for every patient they bulk bill. Previously, these incentives were only available to children under the age of 16 and concession card holders.
This investment means that patients will save hundreds of dollars a year in out-of-pocket costs.
I am delighted to say that the latest data shows Labor’s bulk billing policies are delivering excellent results.
The national GP bulk billing rate was 81.9 per cent for the January to March quarter – a 4.6 percentage point increase on the same period last year.
Bulk billing has increased in every state and territory due to our reforms, including a rise of four percentage points to 85 per cent in my state of New South Wales.
In my electorate of Whitlam, in 2023 bulk billing rates were at 73 per cent. In 2026, due to our government’s incentives, bulk billing rates are close to 90 per cent.
The bulk billing rate has risen for every age group as a result of Labor’s reforms, including a particularly strong increase of almost 8 per cent, to 76 per cent, for patients aged between 16 to 64 years.
There are now over 3,800 Medicare bulk billing practices across Australia – and I note that more than 1,400 of these were previously mixed billing clinics.
In my electorate of Whitlam, the number of fully bulk billing practices has jumped from nine to 28 due to Labor’s incentives.
Approximately 97 per cent of the Australian population is now within a 20-minute drive of a bulk billing practice – which is a wonderful outcome.
Another major bulk billing reform implemented by this government is the roll out of Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, which are open for extended hours, seven days a week, with no appointment needed.
Patients can walk in, see a trained doctor or nurse – and the services are bulk billed, so they do not pay a cent.
A network of 137 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics has opened over the past three years, including two in my electorate of Whitlam – one in Dapto and one in Shellharbour.
Medicare Urgent Care Clinics across Australia have seen over 3 million presentations since the first sites opened in 2023 and there have been over 33,000 visits to Urgent Care Clinics in Whitlam.
A significant benefit that flows from opening an urgent care clinic is that it takes pressure off local hospitals. In my electorate, that includes Shellharbour and Wollongong hospitals, where more than half the presentations are non-urgent or semi-urgent.
Labor has also cut the cost of everyday medicines on the PBS to $25, the lowest co-payment since 2004, and just $7.70 for concession card holders to get their medicines.
This is helping millions of Australians afford the medicines they need.
Over 3 million cheaper PBS scripts have been filled in my electorate of Whitlam – delivering over $19 million in savings to people in my community.
Labor built Medicare and the Albanese Government is strengthening it after a decade of neglect under the Coalition.
When Labor came to government in 2022, bulk billing was in decline, GP clinics were under pressure, and people were putting off seeing a doctor because they simply couldn’t afford it.
The Albanese Labor Government has stepped up and reversed that trend, recognising that healthcare must be based on need, not wealth.
Bulk billing is the beating heart of Medicare and the Albanese Government is successfully delivering more bulk billing for more Australians.
By strengthening Medicare, expanding bulk billing and making essential medicines cheaper, the Albanese Labor Government is restoring confidence in a vital system that defines who we are as a country.
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