Medicare funding boost not an immediate cure, say doctors groups

Doctors’ groups have welcomed funding pledges by both Labor and the Coalition to address Medicare bulk billing rates. But others like the Australian Medical Association say the money is not a silver bullet for all GPs, and that it will take time to fix the system.

Australia's bulk-billing rate plummeted to 20.7 per cent at the start of 2025, down from almost 36 percent [[35.7]] two years earlier, Source: iStockphoto

KEY POINTS

• Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced an 8.5 billion dollar funding boost to Medicare while Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has matched Labor's pledge with an investment of his own.
• Australia's bulk-billing rate plummeted to 20.7 per cent at the start of 2025, down from almost 36 per cent two years earlier, according to data released in January by health care directory Cleanbill.
• Royal Australian College of GPs president Michael Wright says not everyone will be bulk billed in the future as patient rebates are still too low to cover the cost of care.

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Medicare funding boost not an immediate cure, say doctors groups

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