Health Minister accuses Coalition of ‘cooking the books’ on bulk-billing rates
Labor has upped its attacks on the Coalition’s Medicare record, with the health minister accusing the opposition of fudging the numbers of bulk-billing rates.
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Health Minister Mark Butler has dismissed Coalition criticism over Labor’s handling of the healthcare system and accused the opposition of “cooking the books” on bulk-billing rates.
Mr Butler has been spruiking the Albanese government’s pledge historic $8.5bn Medicare boost ahead of its official unveiling.
The fresh federal funds, delivered over four years, aim to lift nationwide bulk-billing rates to 90 per cent by the decade’s end.
It comes as Australians are set to go to the polls having a harder finding bulk billed appointments than when Labor came to power in 2022.
Shadow treasurer Angus Taylor said on Sunday the announcement was “necessary because of Labor’s abject failure when it comes to health”.
“What we have seen is a collapse in bulk billing rates from 88 per cent when we were in government to 77 per cent, a 45 per cent increase in out of pockets being paid by people when they go to the doctor, (and) 40 million bulk-billing sessions that have disappeared since we were in government,” Mr Taylor told Sky News.
“And so people are feeling this because of Labor’s failure.”
But rates starting to plunge in the final years of the former Coalition government after hitting a record 89 per cent in 2020, according to official data.
It took a steep tumble after that, plunging to 77 per cent in 2023, before slightly bouncing back to 78 per cent as of October last year.
Appearing on Sky News directly after Mr Taylor, Mr Butler said the Coalition had “skewed” the rates, citing the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP).
“The first thing I’d say is, don’t take health policy advice from Angus Taylor,” he said.
“The second thing I’d say is that, frankly, they were cooking the books on bulk billing data.
“The data that Peter Dutton trumpets all the time was called by the (RACGP) skewed and misleading.
“We’ve been very transparent about the bulk billing data that we have published on a regular basis since we came to government.”
He went on to again blame Peter Dutton for the Medicare rebate freeze, which the now-Opposition Leader championed while health minister in the Abbott government more than a decade ago.
“Peter Dutton tried to abolish (bulk-billing),” Mr Dutton said.
“The situation we face now with bulk-billing in free fall out of pocket, costs soaring, and more and more Australians choosing not to go to the doctor because they can’t afford it is a direct result of a deliberate decision made by Peter Dutton.”
Independent experts, including the Australian Medical Association, have put declining bulk-billing rates down to flow-on effects from the Abbott government’s rebates freeze.
Though, the freeze was an extension of a temporary Labor measure rolled out in 2013.
Despite the clash, Mr Taylor said the Coalition would not stand in the way of the funding.
The Greens have also backed the move, claiming the Albanese government was adopting part of their ‘GP for free’ plan.
Greens leader Adam Bandt said in a statement it showed his party’s crossbench “pressure” worked and called on Anthony Albanese to recall parliament this week so we can legislate and Dutton-proof this policy”.
“Greens pressure works,” Mr Bandt said.
“In a wealthy country like ours everyone should be able to see a GP, psychologist, dentist or nurse with their Medicare card.
“It’s good Labor has adopted part of our plan to help people see the GP for free.
“Now let’s make it law before the election.”
He added that there was “no reason to hold this reform ransom to the outcome of the election”.
“Then next Parliament, we can get dental into Medicare,” Mr Bandt said.
“By voting Greens, we keep Dutton out and get Labor to act.”
‘No one left behind’
Labor’s promised federal funds aim to add an extra 18 million bulk billed GP visits annually while bolstering the workforce.
Anthony Albanese, who will formally unveil the election pitch in Tasmania, said in a statement the policy “lifts up our entire nation and ensures no one is held back, and no one is left behind”.
“I want every Australian to know they only need their Medicare card, not their credit card, to receive the healthcare they need,” the Prime Minister said in a statement on Saturday.
“No Australian should have to check their bank balance to see if they can afford to see a doctor.
“That is not who we are. That is not the future we want for Australia.”
Of the $8.5bn, $617mn would go toward strengthening the workforce, including $265.2mn to expand GP training by 200 placements per year and $204.8mn to incentivise junior doctors to pursue general practice.
The remaining $7.9bn would go into tripling the bulk-billing incentive for all Medicare patients, building on a 2023 expansion targeting younger and older Australians.
The Albanese government has already pumped billions into bulk-billing incentives – a move that appears to have arrested the plunging rates but not managed to bring them back up to 2022 numbers, or indeed the 2020 high.
Official data published last year showed working Australians were somewhat left behind, with patients aged 16-64 getting about 69 per cent of their appointments bulk-billed, as of October 2024.
The new cash would create an incentive for practices that bulk bill all patients — a move the Albanese government has estimated would increase the number of fully bulk billed practices to around 4800 nationally and save patients $859 million per year by 2030.
The investment would represent the biggest single investment in Medicare in its 41 years.
Originally published as Health Minister accuses Coalition of ‘cooking the books’ on bulk-billing rates
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