The Department of Health and Aged Care has provided information for GPs regarding the establishment of the Bulk Billing Incentive Program and expanded bulk billing incentive eligibility.
Following the release of the Federal Budget, the Department of Health and Aged Care has provided information on the changes coming to GP bulk billing in November 2025 as part of the Strengthening Medicare initiative.
The government has committed to $7.9 billion to expand eligibility for bulk billing incentives to all Australians and establish the Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program to support general practices to bulk bill all patients.
There are 2 parts to the upcoming changes to the incentives from 1 November 2025:
- Expanding eligibility for bulk billing incentives.
- Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program (the Program).
The AMA has been calling on the Government to release more details about its changes so that GPs and practices can then make informed decisions about their fee structure.
In addition to the release of additional information at the link above, the Department of Health and Aged Care is also sending letters to practices around the country through the HPOS system providing them with tailored information about what the Government's changes could mean for them. This is based on Medicare data and may help practices better understand their own circumstances.
The AMA will continue to make it clear that GPs and practices will make decisions about the fees charged to patients based on an assessment of practice costs.
