Protecting bulk-billing for families and households across NSW

GP clinics have saved $4 million in the first eight months of the Bulk-Billing Support Initiative, allowing them to keep more bulk-billed appointments open so people can see a doctor without extra out-of-pocket costs.

To claim the ongoing payroll rebate for contractor GPs, clinics must meet the bulk-billing thresholds of 80% of services in metropolitan Sydney, and 70% in the rest of NSW.

Access to accessible and affordable primary healthcare delivers better health outcomes for our communities and helps to keep pressure off the state’s emergency rooms.

NSW Health estimates that a 1 per cent decrease in bulk-billing equates to around 3,000 additional emergency presentations.

Introduced in the 2024-25 NSW Budget, GP clinics also benefited from the waiving of $104m of historical payroll tax liabilities, which began accruing for contractor GPs under the previous government.

Pleas for reform from medical peak bodies – including the Australian Medical Association (AMA) and Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) – were repeatedly ignored by the previous government, despite claims that hundreds of clinics would close.

The initiative marks the first time the NSW Government has intervened to support the bulk-billing rate and supports the Albanese Labor Government’s historic investments in Medicare.

Revenue NSW expects more GP clinics to register throughout the year and claim part of their annual return at the end of the 2024-25 financial year.

There are more than 2,300 GP clinics across NSW. The NSW Government’s Bulk-Billing Support Initiative will protect the bulk-billing rates at GP clinics for families across the state, saving households money and reducing the strain on emergency departments.

Quotes attributable to Premier Chris Minns:

“We are working to protect bulk billing across NSW and it’s good to see clinics starting to take up the rebate.

“This initiative gives GPs across New South Wales the certainty that they need to continue to operate a fundamental health care service.

“By protecting bulk-billing, we are taking pressure off our emergency departments and increasing access to healthcare for families across NSW.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Ryan Park:

“This initiative is delivering exactly what we set out to achieve—keeping GP clinics open, protecting bulk-billing, and making sure people can see a doctor without facing extra out-of-pocket costs.

“When people can access a bulk-billing GP close to home, they’re less likely to end up in a hospital emergency department for issues that can be managed in primary care.

“It’s helps ease pressure on hospitals, supports GPs and importantly, increases access to healthcare for families.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Finance Courtney Houssos:

“We are committed to pulling every lever we can to support bulk-billing and access to affordable healthcare in NSW.

“This is the first time the NSW Government has intervened to support bulk-billing. By working in partnership with GPs and clinics, we can deliver affordable and accessible healthcare to families and households.

“We expect more clinics to register for the Bulk-Billing Support Initiative as we near the end of the financial year, ensuring even more patients have access to a bulk-billed GP appointment.”