Record bulk billing numbers under Turnbull Government

More Australian patients are visiting their GP without having to pay, with the bulk billing rate for the September quarter increasing to a record 85.9 per cent.

More Australian patients are visiting their GP without having to pay, with the bulk billing rate for the September quarter increasing to a record 85.9 per cent.

This is the highest bulk billing rate ever achieved for a September quarter – and significantly higher than Labor’s 82.2% when they were last in Government.

The Turnbull Government has also delivered a significant 88.5% bulk billing rate for GP visits in Bennelong – one of the highest rates in the country. It’s a major increase compared with Labor’s 85.4%.

And we’re spending more than ever before on Medicare – with record funding increasing each and every year from $23 billion in 2017-18, to $24 billion, to $26 billion to $28 billion in 2020-21.

Spending under Labor was $19.5 billion in 2012-13.

These figures highlight the shocking lies that Labor continues to peddle about Medicare.

Last financial year, Australian patients received an additional 21 million bulk billed GP visits compared with Labor’s last year in Government in 2012-13 – an increase of more than 20 per cent.

In this year’s Budget, we established the Medicare Guarantee Fund to secure the ongoing funding of the Medicare Benefits Schedule and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme – to guarantee Australians’ access to these services and affordable medicines into the future.

Our commitment to Medicare is rock solid and the figures released today show that under the Turnbull Government, Medicare is providing more support to Australians than ever before.

The Hon Greg Hunt MP
Minister for Health

Minister for Sport
Media Release