MARK BUTLER MP

MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE

LIBBY COKER MP

MEMBER FOR CORANGAMITE

More Australians across the Bellarine, Surf Coast and Geelong region will get free visits to the GP if the Albanese Labor Government is re-elected, with an additional 306,600 bulk billed visits and a boost to the number of fully bulk billing GP practices to around 55 in the local area – more than double the current 22 practices.

Across the state, there will be an additional 4.9 million bulk billed GP visits, saving locals hundreds of dollars a year, depending on where they live and how often they visit their GP.

A retiree couple in the Geelong region with typical GP service usage may save around $224 to $425 a year in out-of-pocket costs, if their practice goes fully bulk billing and their GP visits become free.

An older family, with two parents in their 50s and two young adult children in their late teens or early 20s, may save around $366 to $374 a year.

A younger family, with two parents in their 30s and two children under five years old, may save around $209 to $220 a year.

More patient case studies are available on the health.gov.au website.

From 1 November, Labor will expand bulk billing incentives to all Australians and create an additional new incentive payment for practices that bulk bill every patient, with an additional 12.5% loading payment on their Medicare rebates.

This will mean 9 out of 10 GP visits will be bulk billed by 2030, boosting the number of fully bulk billed practices to around 4,800 nationally – triple the current number.

GP practices across the Bellarine, Geelong and the Surf Coast will get more support to bulk bill, with around 55 practices across the electorates of Corangamite and Corio in a better financial position if they adopt full bulk billing.

This means around 55 local practices will gain more in additional Medicare payments than they lose in patient out-of-pockets if they go fully bulk billing.

According to modelling by the Department of Health and Aged Care, the 4,800 practices will receive an average of $344,000 in additional Medicare payments a year.

The additional Medicare payments a bulk billed practice may receive each year will depend on a range of factors, including the practice location and how many Medicare services it provides each year:

* ‘City & Metro’ refers to practices in locations with MMM1 remoteness classification. ‘Regional & Rural’ refers to practices in locations with MMM2-5 remoteness classifications. A ‘small GP practice’ provides around 6,000 to 6,500 Medicare services a year, while a ‘very large GP practice’ provides around over 60,000 Medicare services a year.

The $8.5 billion investment from the Albanese Labor Government is the single largest investment in Medicare since its creation over 40 years ago, and it will deliver an additional 18 million bulk billed GP visits nationally.

Labor’s record investment restores the $8.3 billion the Australian Medical Association says was cut from Medicare through the funding freeze initiated by Peter Dutton a decade ago.

Quotes attributable to Health Minister Mark Butler:

“Australia's doctors voted Peter Dutton the worst Health Minister in Medicare history for a reason.

“The Liberals promised there'd be ‘no cuts to health’ last time and within a few months, Peter Dutton, as Health Minister, tried to cut $50 billion out of public hospitals and abolish bulk billing altogether.

“Then Peter Dutton started a six-year freeze to Medicare rebates that froze GP incomes and stripped billions out of Medicare.

“Peter Dutton's record on Medicare isn't just scary, it's bloody terrifying. Why would you trust the person who created this mess in the first place to clean it up?”

Quotes attributable to Member for Corangamite, Libby Coker:

“Labor built Medicare, we will protect it and improve it for all Australians.

“There will be more free GP visits with more bulk billing across Geelong, the Bellarine and Surf Coast because of our historic investment in Medicare.

“55 GP practices across our region will get support to go fully bulk billing, getting more in Medicare payments than they lose in charging patients out-of-pockets.

“We want every Australian to know they only need their Medicare card, not their credit card, to receive the healthcare they need.

“At this election Australia faces a choice: a stronger Medicare with more bulk billing for all Australians under Labor, or more cuts to Medicare under Peter Dutton's Liberals.

“A re-elected Albanese Labor Government will make the single largest investment in Medicare since its creation over 40 years ago.