In the month before the bulk billing incentive was tripled on November 1, 2023, 73.0% of all GP visits were bulk billed in Robertson. Since then, the bulk billing rate has increased by 4.5 percentage points to 77.6% in May.
Robertson residents have also saved $2,528,244 on the cost of their medicines, thanks to the Federal Labor Government’s cheaper medicines policies, including our landmark 60-day prescriptions reforms and the largest cut to the maximum patient copayment in the 75-year history of the PBS.
The Federal Labor Government also delivered the second largest increase to Medicare rebates in 30 years, with $900M in additional Medicare funding. This comes on top of the $940M delivered last year, in the largest increase in 30 years.
This means that in just two years, the Federal Labor Government has increased Medicare rebates by twice as much as the former government did in their nine years in office.
Seven months of official Medicare billing data shows that the slide in the GP bulk billing rate has stopped and bulk billing rates continue to improve each month.
Nationally, the GP bulk billing rate was 79.0% in May, a rise of 3.4% since the higher bulk billing incentives came into effect on November 1.
Australians living in regional and rural areas have seen the biggest increases, with an estimated additional 900,000 bulk billed visits since the higher bulk billing incentives came into effect.
Federal Member for Robertson, Dr Gordon Reid said: “People in Robertson know that after a decade of cuts and neglect from Peter Dutton and the Liberals, it was increasingly hard to find a bulk billing doctor.
“Now, thanks to the Federal Labor Government there is more bulk billing in Robertson on the Central Coast. This is delivering significant cost of living relief for people on the Central Coast."
