Medicare bulk billing reaches record high
Posted
by DPS
The Minister for Health and Ageing, Nicola Roxon, has reported that 73.9% of all Medicare services were bulk billed in the June quarter, – a record high. This was a 0.2 of a percentage point increase on the previous (March) quarter of 2008.
This increase was mainly due to a rise to 79.1% of all non-referred (GP) attendances being bulk billed.
Bulk billing increased slightly in all states and territories except the ACT.
Bulk billing for GP attendances in the June quarter 2008, compared with the March quarter 2008, show:
- NSW up 0.4 of a percentage point to 84.5%
- Victoria up 0.5 of a percentage point to 76.9%
- Queensland up 1.1 percentage points to 77.3%
- South Australia up 0.4 of a percentage point to 79.1%
- Western Australia up 1.6 percentage points to 73.4%
- Tasmania up 0.6 of a percentage point to 73.9%
- Northern Territory up 1.0 percentage point to 63.9%
- ACT down 0.8 of a percentage point to 51.4%.
In the 12 months ending June 2008, Medicare Australia processed claims for 278.7 million services involving benefits of $13 billion.
Full details of the statistics may be found at:
www.health.gov.au/medicarestats
