Upcoming changes to bulk billing incentives in general practice

Strengthening Medicare with more bulk billing from 1 Nov 2025. The Australian Government is investing $7.9 billion to expand eligibility for bulk billing incentives to all Australians and establish the Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program to support general practices to bulk bill all patients.

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:

  1. Expanding eligibility for Medicare bulk billing incentives.
  2. Introducing the Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program (BBPIP).

Why it is important

Making all Australians eligible for Medicare bulk billing incentive payments will support doctors to continue to bulk bill their patients, improving access to general practice care for all Australians. 

Medicare 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 Medicare bulk billing incentives depends on the service provided and the location. 

Medicare 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 Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS) to medical practitioners that bulk bill: 

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 (BBPIP).

Practices participating in BBPIP will receive an additional quarterly 12.5% incentive payment on every $1 of MBS benefit paid from eligible services, split evenly between the GP and the practice. The even BBPIP payment split recognises the roles played by both practices and providers in delivering bulk billed services to patients.

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 BBPIP, practices will need to:

  • Bulk bill all eligible services
  • Promote their participation in BBPIP as Medicare Bulk Billing Practices
  • Be MyMedicare registered (note that practices that are not already MyMedicare registered and wish to participate in BBPIP will be exempt from MyMedicare accreditation requirements).  

To register in BBPIP, practices will need to: 

  1. register to participate in MyMedicare
  2. register to participate in BBPIP via MyMedicare. 

Registration for BBPIP 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 BBPIP will be provided later this year. 

We have developed a resource answering frequently asked questions about BBPIP for practices, providers, practice managers and health professionals, including eligibility, benefits and how the program operates. 

Resources

Strengthening Medicare with more bulk billing

Strengthening Medicare with more bulk billing from 1 Nov 2025. The Australian Government is investing $7.9 billion to expand eligibility for bulk billing incentives to all Australians and establish the Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program to support general practices to bulk bill all patients
Date last updated:

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