Australia's bulk billing rate has surged to 84.1 per cent for the June 2026 quarter, nearly five percentage points higher than the same period a year earlier, with Health Minister Mark Butler declaring the country is reaping the rewards of record Medicare investment ahead of schedule.
The figures, released by the federal government, show bulk billing has risen across every state and territory, with Butler saying more GP practices than ever are operating as fully bulk billing clinics — meaning patients need only their Medicare card, not their credit card, to walk through the door.
Bulk Billing Growth Ahead of Schedule
The Albanese government has pointed to the surge in bulk billing as evidence that its significant investment in Medicare is translating into real-world outcomes for patients. Butler said the pace of the increase had outrun the government's own projections, describing the results as a milestone in making primary healthcare more accessible and affordable for ordinary Australians.
"Our government is delivering more bulk billing to more Australians," Butler said in a statement. "Across the country more and more GP practices are becoming fully bulk billing clinics meaning all patients need is their Medicare card, not their credit card. It's good for patients' hip pockets and good for their health."
The improvement in the national rate reflects a broad uplift across the country, though the scale of gains has varied by region and by patient demographic.
Working-Age Australians See the Biggest Gains
While the data shows improvement across all age cohorts, the most dramatic gains were recorded among patients aged between 16 and 64, whose bulk billing rate climbed by more than eight percentage points to reach 78.6 per cent. This group — which has historically faced higher out-of-pocket costs compared to concession card holders and children — appears to have benefited most from the expanded investment in Medicare rebates.
The government said the increases were recorded across all jurisdictions, reflecting a national rather than piecemeal improvement in access to affordable GP care.
States and Territories: A Mixed but Improving Picture
At the jurisdiction level, the Northern Territory recorded the highest bulk billing rate in the country, with more than 90.8 per cent of GP visits bulk billed during the quarter. The result places the Territory well above the national average and reflects both the demographics of its population and the structure of its primary health services.
At the other end of the spectrum, the Australian Capital Territory recorded a rate of 59.3 per cent — the only jurisdiction tracking below 75 per cent. While that figure still represents an improvement on the previous year, the ACT continues to face structural challenges in primary care affordability that set it apart from the rest of the country.
Every other state and territory was recorded above the 75 per cent mark, underlining how widespread the upswing in bulk billing has become under the government's Medicare funding approach.
What the Numbers Mean for Patients
For millions of Australians, a higher bulk billing rate means the difference between seeking timely medical care and deferring a GP visit due to cost. Out-of-pocket expenses at the doctor have long been cited as a barrier to early intervention and preventive health, particularly for lower-income households and working-age adults who fall outside the concession system.
The government's framing of the results has been consistent: that investment in Medicare rebates encourages more practices to offer fully bulk billed services, removing the financial friction that can discourage people from seeing a doctor before a health issue becomes serious.
Butler's language around "fully bulk billing clinics" is significant — it points to a model where a practice commits to bulk billing all patients rather than selectively bulk billing concession holders or children while charging others a gap fee. The growth of that model, if sustained, would represent a structural shift in how primary care is delivered and financed in Australia.
The June 2026 quarter results are expected to inform ongoing policy decisions around Medicare investment levels, with the government likely to use the data to support its broader health policy agenda heading into the second half of the year. Officials have not detailed what, if any, additional measures might accompany the current funding settings, but the political incentive to sustain the upward trajectory in bulk billing rates ahead of future electoral cycles remains strong.
For now, the government says the numbers speak for themselves: more Australians are accessing GP care without paying out of pocket than at any point in recent years — and the rate is still climbing.
