Health
Strengthening Medicare
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Making it cheaper and easier to see a doctor
In this Budget, the Government is making a record investment of $7.9 billion to provide more bulk billing so people can see a general practitioner (GP) for free. This is the largest single investment in Medicare since its creation over 40 years ago.
The Government is expanding bulk billing incentive eligibility to cover all Australians from 1 November 2025. This means an additional 15 million individuals will be eligible when visiting their GP for the most common services. Nine out of 10 GP visits are expected to be bulk billed by 2030.
The Government is establishing the Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program to incentivise general practices to become fully bulk billing practices. Combined with expanded bulk billing incentives, this program is expected to boost the number of fully bulk billed practices to around 4,800 nationally by 2028–29.
Case study: making it cheaper and easier to see a doctor
Emma and Ryan are in their 30s and have two children under five. The children see their GP for minor illnesses and vaccinations. The parents see their GP a few times a year, which has increased recently with a child bringing home more viruses and colds after starting pre-school.
If their GP moves to full bulk billing under the Government's package, their out-of-pocket costs will be $0 – all of their GP visits will be free. This could save them up to $444 per year if they live in a regional location.
Investing in Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, hospitals and health workforce
Making healthcare more accessible
The Government is improving access to care by providing $644 million to establish a further 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics across the country, with new clinics in every state and territory. This builds on the success of 87 clinics already providing bulk billed urgent care, taking the total to 137 clinics nationwide.
There have been over 1.3 million visits to Medicare Urgent Care Clinics across Australia since they were established in June 2023. This helped take pressure off hospital emergency departments, allowing them to focus on more urgent and life‑threatening conditions.
More funding for public hospitals
The Government has committed $1.8 billion to fund public hospitals and health services in 2025–26. This will help:
- cut hospital waiting lists
- reduce waiting times in emergency rooms
- manage ambulance ramping.
The Commonwealth contribution to state‑run public hospitals will increase by 12 per cent to reach a record $33.9 billion in 2025–26.
Boosting the primary care workforce
The Government is increasing the number of doctors, nurses and midwives.
This significant investment will support more junior doctors training to be GPs than ever before in the nation’s history. With up to 400 new places, there will be more than 2,000 doctors entering GP training each year from 2028.
The package includes salary incentives for junior doctors to specialise in general practice, and funding paid parental leave and study leave for trainee GPs.
The package provides 400 nursing and midwifery scholarships, which will enable training pathways for new nurse practitioners and endorsed midwifes.
Better healthcare for women
The Government is improving the accessibility and affordability of health care for Australian women throughout the different stages of their lives with a $792.9 million package to deliver more choice, lower costs and better care.
The package includes funding for 150 per cent larger Medicare rebates and more bulk billing for the insertion and removal of long‑acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs), and enables these services to be delivered by nurse practitioners. It also includes funding to establish 8 new LARC Centres of Training Excellence, to ensure healthcare professionals are trained, skilled and confident when delivering these services.
The Government has listed several oral contraceptive pills on the PBS, the first in more than 30 years and set to benefit around 150,000 women per year. Funding will also go towards two national trials to make it cheaper and easier for women to access oral contraceptives and treatment for uncomplicated urinary tract infections.
The Government is providing support for women experiencing menopause. The package includes:
- a new Medicare rebate for menopause health assessments
- development of national clinical guidelines for treatment
- funding to train health professionals
- an awareness campaign
- the first PBS listing for new menopausal hormone therapies in over 20 years, with around 150,000 women expected to save hundreds of dollars a year.
The Government is also supporting the roughly 1 in 9 women who suffer from endometriosis. Funding will help deliver 11 new endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics, additional to the 22 clinics already established. These clinics’ capabilities will also be expanded to provide specialist support for menopause.
The Government is also listing a new endometriosis treatment on the PBS. Around 8,500 Australian women are expected to benefit from this listing each year – who without subsidy, might pay more than $2,700 for one year of treatment.