Fiona Phillips (Gilmore, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The first day of November 2025 was a great day. It was, of course, when the Albanese Labor government's expanded bulk-billing incentives kicked in, expanding bulk-billing incentives to all Australians and also with an additional new incentive payment for practices that bulk-bill every patient. It follows on from our very successful tripling of the bulk-billing incentive two years ago in 2023 for pensioners, concession cardholders and students. That proved very, very popular. We saw bulk-billing rates increase in particular for this cohort of people. I can honestly say that this makes a huge difference in people's lives.

People are doing it tough, and we have always said that we will provide cost-of-living relief where we can. The changes on 1 November did just that. They are being welcomed by a whole host of GP practices in my electorate of Gilmore that are keen to also provide some relief for patients. I visited Grand Pacific Health in Nowra, one of the first medical practices in Gilmore to sign on to become a fully bulk-billed practice. This is what practice manager Charisse Morris had to say:

This will make a huge difference. If people don't have to pay that gap for general consults, that's food in their mouth. When you have to prioritise food or health, that's a problem.

I couldn't agree more. This is much-needed, real relief for people.

Just before 1 November, posts started popping up on Facebook by GP practices in Gilmore and our Facebook community groups, like this one from the Sussex Doctors at Sussex Inlet on the New South Wales South Coast. They said:

Healthcare made more affordable at Sussex Doctors!

We're proud to be a Fully Bulk Billing Clinic, ensuring everyone in our community can access quality medical care.

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From general consultations to care plans, we're here to support your health at every stage without financial stress.

At Sussex Doctors, your health is our priority and now, it's more accessible than ever.

They said:

More access. Less cost. Better care.

It's hard to argue with that, so I shared that post and people started commenting about other local GP practices also moving to bulk-billing every patient for GP visits. That included Bomaderry Creek Health Centre, which has a new pop-up on their Facebook page that says:

Bulk billing for all patients starting 1st November 2025

From 1 November 2025, there are no out-of-pocket costs for your GP visits at Bomaderry Creek Health Centre. How good is that?

Recently, I also I met with GPs at the Queen Street Medical Centre at Moruya. They are also taking up the expanded bulk-billing incentive. They told me what a significant difference this will mean for patients and their practice. The 12.5 per cent additional incentive payment for bulk-billing every patient was also so welcomed. And the earnings boost is larger in regional areas like Gilmore, with a GP at a rural practice that bulk-bills every visit to earn almost $24,000 more than a mixed-billing GP for providing the same number of services. We need more GPs in regional areas, and these expanded bulk-billing incentives help even more people in regional areas like mine.

As at 27 October 2025, 21 GP practices in Gilmore indicated their intent to become a Medicare bulk-billing practice, with 11 of those being currently mixed-billing practices. From these expanded bulk-billing incentives, we've seen mixed-billing practices become full bulk-billing and more practices in total becoming full bulk-billing. Here's what John said:

I already get bulk-billed. But I'm glad it's extending. When people can see a GP without having to sacrifice their children's nutrition or rent, it makes us all smarter.

The Albanese Labor government has delivered the three largest increases in history, and now we're making the single largest investment in Medicare since its creation over 40 years ago.

I'm also looking forward to the new Nowra Medicare urgent care clinic, which I know many people in my community are very much looking forward to as well, and I know that that's moving forward well. There is also the expanded hours for the Batemans Bay Medicare urgent care clinic, with the hours from 6 am to midnight, 18 hours a day—the longest of any urgent care clinic in the country.

Labor created Medicare, and a Labor government will always strengthen Medicare.

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