What bulk-bill changes mean for your next GP visit

Today’s Medicare changes include the new bulk billing incentive, with some Victorians eligible for almost double the amount of others. Search every suburb to see what you can claim.

The new Medicare bulk-billing incentive kicks in on November 1. Picture: AAP

New Medicare fees will kick in on November 1, including a multi-billion dollar deal to triple the bulk-billing incentive.

The incentive is an extra payment, on top of the Medicare rebate, given to doctors every time they bulk bill an eligible patient, instead of charging them an extra out-of-pocket fee on top of the rebate.

The increased incentive, which will cost $3.5bn over five years, was announced by the Federal Labor government in this year’s budget.

Search your postcode or suburb below to see what incentive — ranging from $20.65 to $39.65 — applies to your area.

What is the bulk billing incentive?

The incentive is an extra payment, on top of the Medicare rebate, given to doctors if they bulk bill you for your appointment.

If a doctor charges you more for your appointment than the Medicare rebate covers – meaning you have to pay an out of pocket cost to cover the gap between the two – they cannot receive the incentive.

For example, if you have a 15 minute bulk-billed General Practitioner appointment in the Melbourne CBD, your doctor will receive $41.20 from Medicare.

If you are eligible for the bulk-billing incentive, they will get an additional $20.65 from Medicare, bringing their total to $61.85.

But if they did not bulk-bill you, and instead charged you $80 for the appointment, Medicare will only reimburse you $41.20 and not the $61.85 figure.

How much is the bulk billing incentive?

The incentive varies, depending on where you live.

It begins at $20.65 for patients in metropolitan areas, followed by $31.40 for regional centres, $33.35 for large and medium rural towns, $35.35 for small rural towns, $37.35 for remote communities and $39.65 for very remote areas.

Search for your postcode below to find out what region your postcode falls under. The seven classifications are based on the Modified Monash Model.

Who gets the new bulk billing incentive?

Children under 16-years-old, pensioners and patients with a Commonwealth concession card hold are eligible for the incentive.

Does the new bulk billing incentive apply to all General Practitioners appointments?

It covers most of them.

All face-to-face appointments that are longer than six minutes — including those for a mental health plan — are eligible for the new, tripled rate.

Telehealth appointments between six and 20 minutes (or above 20 minutes for patients who are registered with the clinic through MyMedicare) are also eligible.

I don’t get bulk-billed, but will my Medicare rebate increase?

The Medicare rebates for most services, including General Practitioner appointments, increased by 3.5 per cent in July this year.

The rebates will therefore only rise by 0.5 per cent on November 1 so you will not see a big increase.