Medicare processes 219 million claims
In the March quarter 2009, a record 74.8% of all Medicare services were bulk billed, up 1.0 percentage point on the December quarter 2008 and up 1.1 percentage points on the March quarter 2008.
Bulk billing rates were at record levels in the March quarter 2009 for:
- non-referred (GP) attendances for persons 65 years of age and over (88.9%)
- non-referred (GP) attendances in rural and remote areas (75.9%)
- all Medicare services for all persons (74.8%)
- all Medicare services for persons 65 years of age and over (76.8%)
- allied health services (introduced into the MBS from 1 July 2004 – 58.9%)
- the Dental Benefits Schedule (68.1%)
The bulk billing rate for all non-referred (GP) attendances reached its highest point since the June quarter 1999.
A total of $3.5 billion was paid in benefits for 73 million services during the March quarter 2009, equal to about $160 in benefits for every Australian, or about 3.4 services each.
In the nine months ending March 2008-09, Medicare Australia processed claims for 219.2 million services, involving benefits of $10.6 billion.
