The jump follows the introduction of extra financial bonuses in November for practices that bulk-bill all eligible services for all Medicare patients, with those clinics receiving an additional 12.5% top-up payment split between the practice and the doctor.
Despite the improvement, bulk-billing rates remain below the 2019 figure of 70%. The report also found the share of Australians delaying GP care due to cost fell from 8.8% in 2023-24 to 7.7% in 2024-25.
RACGP president Dr Michael Wright said the findings indicate “greater affordability across the healthcare system.” He cautioned that success should not be measured by bulk-billing rates alone, warning that inequities could emerge if some patients continue facing higher out-of-pocket costs or reduced access to care.
Dr Luke Slawomirski, a health economist with the Australia Institute, described the bulk-billing figures as “certainly good news” but noted the survey represents about 7% of the GP workforce and that there remains “a sizeable access problem” when one-third of patients cannot see a GP when needed. He called for moving away from fee-for-service payments toward blended funding models that reward keeping people healthy, and for paying GPs more relative to other medical specialists to strengthen primary care.