<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Many </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/australia" rel="" target="" title="Australians"><span>Australians</span></a><span> will enjoy cheaper </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/health" rel="" target="" title="visits to the doctor"><span>visits to the doctor</span></a><span> from this weekend, when a $7.9 billion overhaul of the bulk billing system comes into effect.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But not everyone will benefit from the start date, with the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/government" rel="" target="" title="government"><span>government</span></a><span> projecting it will take years for most GP practices to sign on to the scheme.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>So what's actually changing, and what does it mean for you? This is what you need to know.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/facebook-payout-australia-are-you-eligible-for-metas-50-million-compensation/a9a99410-a3c0-4c3a-9225-bd37f69a2a1b"><strong><span>If you were on Facebook 10 years ago, you may be eligible for a share of $50 million</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><span>What is changing for bulk billing incentives?</span></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Under the current system, the federal government provides an incentive to doctors who provide bulk-billed consultations to children under 16 or patients who have a Commonwealth concession card.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>However, from Saturday, November 1, that will be expanded so the incentive covers anyone with a Medicare card.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/medicare-bulk-billing-changes-australia-november-explained/0d3f161a-0dec-4861-aff4-7f440fb43984" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The government is also introducing the Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program (BBPIP) – an extra 12.5 per cent incentive payment to be split between doctors and practices that sign up for the program.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/finance/australia-economy-2026-outlook-oxford-economics-report/5fec4592-2192-49a6-b46b-97d50a12d858"><strong><span>New financial 'pain' coming for Aussies - but there's a silver lining</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><span>Why are these changes being made?</span></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The changes were </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/free-doctor-visits-labor-promises-universal-bulk-billing-if-elected/603d7c81-9a52-4290-8eff-dc0b81645c1f" rel="" target="" title="announced in the lead-up to this year's federal election campaign"><span>announced in the lead-up to this year's federal election campaign</span></a><span>. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>While it was partly a political move from the Labor government aimed at exploiting a perceived weakness of then-opposition leader Peter Dutton due to his stint as health minister, it's also aimed at addressing the declining bulk billing rate.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In 2020, the figure was sitting at a record high of 89 per cent. In 2024, it had fallen to 78 per cent (admittedly up fractionally from 77 per cent the year before).</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The government says the overhaul will drive the bulk billing rate up to 90 per cent by 2030.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/health/australia-womens-health-contraceptives-mark-butler/780a9e4f-988c-4b5b-86a1-bf107d28d54b"><strong><span>Contraceptives to be two-thirds cheaper after being added to PBS</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><span>So does this mean free GP visits for (almost) everyone?</span></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>That's the idea – the government wants as many Australians as possible to access free doctor appointments. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In practice, it's going to take a while for GPs across the country to sign on to the new scheme.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A week out from its introduction, 900 practices have indicated they will be moving to full bulk billing from November 1.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>To hit its 90 per cent bulk billing rate target, the government in February said it needs 4800 practices on board (although about a third of them were already fully bulk billing at the time).</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Health Minister Mark Butler is confident, though, that more providers are going to join.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"They're going through those numbers, obviously making their own assessment about whether the practice will be better off and whether general practitioners, the GPs that work in their practice, will be better off," he told reporters on Monday. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Already a couple of thousand of them have indicated that they're going to do that.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/microsoft-australia-365-personal-and-family-plans-australian-competition-and-consumer-commission-federal-court-action/47a2864d-78f4-4413-9b6c-f59fc9fddb85"><strong><span>Microsoft Australia allegedly misled millions of Aussies: watchdog</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Now, a number of them are already bulk-billing practices but… almost a thousand of them are practices that this week are charging gap fees, but they've indicated next week they'll be fully bulk billing. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I expect there to be a significant number of practices that make that same communication to us over the course of this week before Saturday as well."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He also said he expects the numbers to rise over the coming years and that he was "delighted" at the initial level of support.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/australia-post-2025-christmas-cut-off-dates-domestic-and-international-reminder/eb154aec-255f-413d-8581-e93077b3747d"><strong><span>Australia Post reveals deadline for mailing Christmas parcels</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><span>What does it mean for doctors?</span></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>GPs weren't particularly happy with the 12.5 per cent BBPIP payment being split between doctors and practices, claiming it favours larger corporate clinics and could be a barrier to some providers signing up.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>However, the government says doctors will be financially far better off under the new system.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Two years ago, a full-time, fully bulk-billing GP would have been earning about $280,000 a year after they paid their practice costs," Butler said. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"From this weekend, they'll be earning $405,000 a year, a $125,000 increase. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This investment is obviously good for the Medicare system, good for patients, but it's also good for GPs themselves.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><strong><span>Stay across all the latest in breaking 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