Many GPs ‘nervous’ about bulk-billing rollout under new Medicare scheme

Every electorate in the country will have a GP practice that bulk bills every patient after the expanded bulk billing incentive came into effect this month, the health minister has said.

The changes mean four out of 10 practices will be fully bulk billing, as the government vows it will bring the number up to nine out of 10 by 2030.

However, the peak body for general practitioners said many remain nervous about switching back to a system that relies on government funding.

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Over 1,000 GP practices that were previously mixed billing have signed up to become fully bulk billing, the health minister, Mark Butler , said.

With 1,600 pre-existing fully bulk billing practices, the expansion brings the number to more than 2,600 out of 6,500 GP practices nation