Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government. I refer to his previous answer, in which he claimed that there have been no cuts to bulk-billing incentives. Can the minister explain to the House what the financial incentive for bulk-billing was in affected areas in dollar terms before the government's change and what it is now?

Mark Coulton (Parkes, National Party, Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I welcome the opportunity to add to my last answer. The changes that were made were geographic. It was not changed by electorate; it was changed by geographical area from the Bureau of Statistics. I think it's important to note that rural bulk-billing incentives go to rural areas. That's the idea. The idea of rural and regional incentives is to support—

Mr Conroy interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will pause. The member for Shortland will leave under standing order 94(a).

The member for Shortland then left the chamber.

Mark Coulton (Parkes, National Party, Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

All doctors who bulk-bill, regardless of their location, will continue to be eligible for bulk-billing incentives. These changes relate to the higher rural bulk-billing incentive. The government delayed the implementation from 1 July 2019 until 1 January 2020 to allow practices to come to terms with these changes. I can inform members that if doctors want to find out more about this they can check their Modified Monash Model classification on the DoctorConnect website.