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Here’s what you need to know. Duncan Evans @Duncanevans01 November 1, 2025 - 8:01AMNewsWire Share via Email Share on Facebook Share on Whatsapp Écoutez cet article Copied URL to clipboard ‘It’s time for broader reforms’: AMA President slams Labor Party’s Medicare incentive Australian Medical Association President Dr Danielle McMullen says doctors are frustrated by the “lack of reform” which comes after the... Massive changes to how millions of Aussies receive healthcare are now in place. The changes impact Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), two core pillars of Australia’s healthcare system, and also aged care. Here’s everything you need to know. BULK BILLING Bulk billing means a visit to the doctor is completely free. The government pays the doctor a fee for your visit, called a Medicare rebate, rather than you paying the doctor. But a lot of GP clinics don’t operate on full bulk billing, which means Aussies sometimes have to shell out some money on their visit to a practice. This is sometimes called a “gap fee” or an “out-of-pocket” cost. That’s because clinics are businesses and some doctors don’t receive enough revenue from government bulk billing fees to cover their costs. But now, the government is trying to change all that by ramping up incentives for doctors to provide bulk billing. It’s called the Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program. The government is trying to encourage more doctors to bulk bill. Picture: Supplied WHAT IS CHANGING? Simply put, the government is increasing the Medicate rebate it pays to doctors, hoping more doctors will be incentivised to offer patients full bulk billing. Below is a table that shows the current rebate levels and the new total payments that a bulk-billing practice would receive under the scheme. Note, the totals include the Medicare rebate, the bulk-billing incentive item rebate and a 12.5 per cent bulk-billing practice incentive program payment. The increases are substantial. For a standard consultation in a city, the payment has increased 62 per cent from $42.85 to $69.56. For a remote area, standard consultation payments jump 103 per cent to $86.91. Bulk Billing Changes - Current Rebate to New Total Payments (From November 1, 2025) Common GP Visits Current Medicare Rebate Cities and metro areas Regional centre Large and medium rural towns Small rural town Standard Consultation (6-20 minutes) Long consultation (20 to 40 minutes) Longer consultation (40-60 minutes) Mental Health Plan (20 to 40 minutes) Source: RACGP, Federal Department of Health There’s a second, connected part to the government’s push to expand bulk billing. It involves expanding eligibility for the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) bulk-billing incentives (BBIs). At the moment, MBS BBIs are reserved for children under the age of 16 and Commonwealth concession card holders. Now, it is expanding to include all Medicare-eligible patients. BBIs are additional MBS payments the government makes to a doctor when they bulk bill a patient, on top of the standard Medicare rebate. What does this mean for you? If GP clinics take up the offer to participate and become full bulk-billing clinics, it means more free doctor visits. CONTRACEPTION COSTS CUT IN HALF Alongside changes to the GP landscape, Aussies will now enjoy improved access to contraception health care. The NuvaRing is now listed on the PBS. The government subsidises medicines listed on the PBS, making them more affordable. NuvaRing is a flexible vaginal ring that comes in a pack of three. It releases a combination of oestrogen and progestogen to prevent ovulation and is used on a monthly cycle, offering an alternative to daily oral contraceptives. Before the PBS listing, women might have paid more than $270 a year for the option. Now, they will pay $31.60 per script or $7.70 with a concession. Copied URL to clipboard OPAN CEO discusses the ‘good things’ in the government’s new aged care reform Older Persons Advocacy Network Chief Executive Craig Gear discusses the “very good things” in the... Each script covers three months of contraception, so the listing essentially cuts the price of the conceptive by half. Prices will decrease further from January 1 to a maximum of $25 per script. “For too long, women’s health needs were sidelined, but the Albanese government is changing that and delivering more choice, lower costs and better health care,” Health Minister Mark Butler said. “Australia has one of the lowest uptake rates in the developed world of long-acting contraceptives, partly due to access and affordability. “These changes to MBS and expanded options though the PBS will remove cost and access barriers so that more women can choose the contraceptive option that works best for them.” Last year, the government passed the Aged Care Act 2024, changing how support for the elderly is funded. The government will fully fund all clinical care for people in aged care homes, but older people will be required to make means-tested co-contributions for their non-clinical care and everyday living services, according to the Older Person Advocacy Network. Everyday services include meals, cleaning and laundry, while non-clinical care includes personal care and mobility assistance. Contributions will be capped at $105.30 a day, or $135,318 over a lifetime, for non-clinical care. Support for older people living at home also changes. A new Support at Home program replaces the older Home Care Packages program and the Short-Term Restorative Care program. Support at Home has eight funding classifications, ranging from about $11,000 a year to $78,000 a year, an OPAN fact sheet states. The Aged Care Act 2024 changes how aged care is funded and also tries to improve protections for the elderly. Picture: Supplied Recipients receive a budget aligned with their assessed funding classification. “Recipients will work with their aged care provider to allocate their budget across three broad service categories, tailored to their needs,” the fact sheet states. Clinical supports, such as nursing and physiotherapy Independence services, including personal care, respite care, transport and social support Everyday living services, such as cleaning, gardening, and meal delivery The government fill cover the cost of clinical supports, but older people will make contributions to the “independence” and “everyday living” buckets. Contribution levels depend on income and asset assessments by Services Australia. Alongside changes to funding models, the Act tries to entrench safety and decision-making power for older people. For one, the legislation enshrines protection for whistleblowers, including older people, families or aged care workers who report a person or organisation that has not followed the Aged Care law. Whistleblowers can make reports anonymously to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, the federal health department, a registered provider or aged care worker, a police officer or an independent aged care advocate. “If someone makes a report, they will be protected from any negative results that come from making the report,” the government states. “(And) Have their identities or identifying information protected, with some exceptions – for example, where it is necessary to share information with the ACQSC or a lawyer or to prevent a serious threat to a person or people.” More related stories Trend could cost your kids their smiles The shiny, viral trend is landing more kids in dentist’s chairs for all the wrong reasons. Mental Health What Aussie Gen Z men won’t say on camera Gen Zers are often a mystery to older people with their Labubus and drop-waisted outfits, but like those before them, thre’s still one thing young men struggle to talk about. Health Problems Urgent alert as disease outbreak grows Health authorities have confirmed new exposure sites as cases of a highly contagious disease continue to surge in an Aussie state. Registration In The Know Quiz Newsletters Competitions Welcome to news.com.au Code of Conduct Help and Support General Feedback Advertise with us Standards of Practice Licensing & Reprints Our News Network The Daily Telegraph The Courier Mail Our Partners realestate.com.au CODE Sports A NOTE ABOUT RELEVANT ADVERTISING: We collect information about the content (including ads) you use across this site and use it to make both advertising and content more relevant to you on our network and other sites. Find out more about our policy and your choices, including how to opt-out.Sometimes our articles will try to help you find the right product at the right price. We may receive payment from third parties for publishing this content or when you make a purchase through the links on our sites. 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