Latest Medicare bulkbilling figures
In the December 2007 quarter, 73.4% of all Medicare services were bulk-billed, an increase of 0.9 of a percentage point on the September 2007 quarter and equal to that in the June 2007 quarter.
The minor variations in bulk billing rates for non-referred (GP) attendances in some states and territories, and at the national level, in recent quarters, suggests that rates have hit a plateau for the moment.
The Minister for Health, Nicola Roxon, has commented that the figures highlight how much needs to be done to rebuild health services after the last decade of neglect;in the entire decade of the previous Government, GP bulk-billing rates never reached the high levels they reached under the previous Labor Government.
The December quarter increase was particularly influenced by higher rates of bulk billing for non-referred (GP) attendances (up 0.2 of a percentage point to 78.2%) and pathology (up 1.5% points to 86.6%).
