About bulk billing
Bulk billing is when a medical practitioner bills Medicare directly for their patient’s medical or allied health service.
In a bulk billing arrangement, both of the following apply:
- the medical practitioner accepts the Medicare benefit as full payment for the service
- the patient assigns their right to a Medicare benefit to the medical practitioner, so Medicare pays the benefit to the medical practitioner.
What is changing from 1 November 2025?
There are 2 parts to the upcoming changes to Bulk Billing Incentives in General Practice, from 1 November 2025:
- Expanding eligibility for bulk billing incentives.
- Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program (the Program).
Why it is important
Making all Australians eligible for MBS bulk billing incentive payments will support doctors to continue to bulk bill Australians, improving access to general practice care for all Australians.
Bulk billing incentive payments changes
From 1 November 2025, all Medicare-eligible patients will be eligible for bulk billing incentives.
Medicare pays a bulk billing incentive when a medical practitioner bulk bills an eligible patient for an eligible service. This is to support GPs to bulk bill their patients.
The value of MBS bulk billing incentives depends on the service provided and the location.
Bulk billing incentives are scaled and increase in regional, rural and remote communities, as determined using the Modified Monash Model location classification. Bulk billed items are scaled approximately as follows:
- Modified Monash 2 locations – 150% of value of bulk billed items in metro locations (Modified Monash 1)
- Modified Monash 3-4 locations – 160%
- Modified Monash 5 locations – 170%
- Modified Monash 6 locations – 180%
- Modified Monash 7 locations – 190%
Bulk billing incentive payments are currently available under the MBS to medical practitioners that bulk bill:
- children under 16 years of age and
- patients with a Commonwealth concession card.
The new Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program
From 1 November 2025, the Australian Government will support thousands of general practices to bulk bill every patient, with the launch of the new Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program (the Program).
Practices participating in the Program will receive an additional 12.5% incentive payment on every $1 of MBS benefit earned from eligible services, split between the GP and the practice.
Participating practices must bulk bill every eligible service for every patient, to receive the incentive payment. This incentive payment will be in addition to MBS Benefits paid (including bulk billing incentives).
To participate in the Program, practices will need to:
- Bulk bill all eligible services
- Advertise their participation in the Program
- Be MyMedicare registered (note that practices that are not already MyMedicare registered and wish to participate in the Program will be exempt from MyMedicare accreditation requirements).
To register in the Program, practices will need to:
- register to participate in MyMedicare
- register to participate in the Program via MyMedicare.
Registration for the Program will be available from 1 November 2025.
Accredited practices can prepare in advance, by registering for MyMedicare now. Instructions on how to register for MyMedicare are available on the Services Australia Health Professional Education Resources website.
Further details and instructions on how to register in the Program will be provided later this year.
We have developed a resource answering frequently asked questions about the Program for practice, providers, practice managers and health professionals, including eligibility, benefits and how the program operates.
Resources
Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program: frequently asked questions for practices and providers
