Bulk billing of health services has been part of Medicare since its inception in 1984. Bulk billed services are provided free of charge to patients. This report presents monthly data on the bulk billing rates of general practitioner (GP) attendances – the proportion of GP attendances that are bulk billed, as well as Medicare benefits paid for bulk billed GP attendances (including bulk billing incentive items introduced in 2004).
Data in this report is updated quarterly.
- Cat. no: HWE 97
Key findings
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The rate of bulk billed GP attendances peaked in April 2020 at the start of the COVID–19 pandemic
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People living in lower socioeconomic areas typically have a higher bulk billing rate for GP attendances
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People aged 0–15 or 65+ years are more likely to be bulk billed for GP attendances, than people aged 16–64 years
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Patterns in the GP bulk billing rate vary considerably across Local Government Areas