Data in this week shows that general practice bulk billing, along with MyMedicare participation for practices and Australians are on the rise.

General Practice bulk billing rates have increased nationally by 3.4% over the last 7 months since triple bulk billing changes came into effect on 1 November 2023. This amounts to two million additional bulk billed visits for Australians.

It’s a timely reminder for practices to continue to register for MyMedicare, which allows patients and practices to benefit from the triple bulk billing incentive for longer MBS telehealth consultations (Levels C, D and E) for children under 16, pensioners, and concession card holders.

As of June 2024, over 6000 practices along with over 1.2 million patients have registered for MyMedicare, up from around 1.0 million patients and 5,800 practices in April 2024[3].

From 1 July, the new General Practice in Aged Care Incentive[4] commenced, providing incentive payments to practices and general practitioners for delivering¯regular visits¯and¯care planning¯to older people living in residential aged care. This is the first incentive that requires MyMedicare registration and is voluntary for both consumers and general practices[5]. MyMedicare is a new voluntary patient registration model. It aims to formalise the relationship between patients, their general practice, general practitioner (GP) and primary care teams.

More information is available

• General Practice in Aged Care Incentive | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
• General Practice in Aged Care Incentive – Health professionals – Services Australia

If you need any additional support, or have any questions, please contact us practicedevelopmentteam@wnswphn.org.au.