Bulk-billing rates for doctor visits across Australia have risen to 81.4 percent nationwide between November 2025 and January 2026, according to figures released by the federal government. The increase marks the first significant rebound in bulk-billing after a period of stagnation, and is being attributed to the Albanese government’s $8.5 billion investment in strengthening Medicare.
The 81.4 percent rate represents a jump from the 77.6 percent recorded in the July to September quarter of the previous year, a figure that showed little improvement from prior periods. Health Minister Mark Butler described the increase as the largest quarterly rise on record outside of the COVID-19 pandemic, when bulk-billing rates were artificially inflated by the mandatory coverage of vaccine consultations.
“We promised Australians more bulk-billing and that is what we have delivered,” Butler said. “More Australians are finding it easier to find a bulk-billing doctor in every state and territory.”
The government’s push for increased bulk-billing stems from a pre-election commitment made in the lead up to the 2025 election. Labor pledged to create nine out of ten GP visits free by 2030, a promise underpinned by an expansion of bulk-billing incentives. These incentives, previously limited to children and concession card holders, are now available to all Medicare-eligible patients.
Under the new system, any general practitioner who bulk-bills a patient receives a Medicare payment consisting of the standard rebate plus an incentive. For a standard consultation in metropolitan areas, this payment amounts to approximately $63.50. Clinics that commit to bulk-billing all patients receive an additional quarterly payment, equivalent to 12.5 percent of the practice’s total Medicare billing.
As of February 10, 2026, over 3,400 Medicare Bulk Billing Practices are operating nationally, with 1,300 having transitioned from a mixed-billing model since the incentive changes were implemented. The Prime Minister’s office stated the investment will deliver an additional 18 million bulk billed GP visits every year, and save Australian patients and families $859 million a year by 2030.
The government’s policy has not been without its critics. Concerns have been raised within the medical sector regarding the potential for the incentives to encourage shorter consultations and compromise the quality of care. Some doctors have also expressed doubts that the incentives will fully offset the costs associated with bulk-billing all patients.
The Coalition has previously pointed to a pre-COVID annual bulk-billing rate of 86 percent in 2019, when they were in government, as a benchmark. Labor has declined to establish interim bulk-billing rate targets between now and 2030.
