Health Insurance Amendment (Incentive Payments and Other Measures) Bill 2026
Senator WHITEAKER (Western Australia) (19:12): The Health Insurance Amendment (Incentive Payments and Other Measures) Bill 2026 strengthens Medicare by improving the administration, integrity and transparency of key incentive payment programs. This bill delivers three key things. First, it places a number of incentive payment programs on a clear legislative footing, providing certainty for providers, for government and for Australians, who rely on health care.
Second, it establishes consistent and transparent arrangements for participation, administration and decision-making. Third, it strengthens accountability by ensuring appropriate compliance, information-sharing and debt recovery provisions. This bill is part of Labor's commitment to making sure that Aussies can see their local GP with their Medicare card, not their credit card.
A number of programs that are supported by this bill play a vital role in ensuring access, affordability and quality across our healthcare system. The General Practice in Aged Care Incentive supports GPS and doctors in delivering high-quality primary care for older Australians living in residential aged care. The Practice Incentives Program supports quality improvement, improved access, better patient outcomes and the uptake of digital health.
The Workforce Incentive Program practice stream helps practices build multidisciplinary teams, giving patients access to a wider range of healthcare professionals closer to home. The Workforce Incentive Program doctor stream supports the recruitment and retention of highly skilled doctors, especially in rural and remote communities. The rural advanced skills stream improves access to health care in rural and remote communities.
Finally, my favourite part of this bill is the Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program, which provides incentive payments to practices that offer bulk-billed services to eligible patient groups. Labor set an ambitious target of achieving 90 per cent bulk-billing by 2030, and we are making excellent progress towards that goal. Everywhere I go, I hear about the difference that our plan to give more Australians access to bulk-billed GP appointments is making for families, who shouldn't have to wait for their next pay cheque to take their kid to the doctor; for pensioners, who should be able to get the health care that they need without having to worry about what they'll miss out on in order to get it; and for the young Australians, who should be able to see a GP without having to put it on a credit card.
On 1 November last year we expanded the general practice bulk-billing incentive to all Australians and began providing practices with an additional 12.5 per cent incentive payment to practices who bulk-bill every single one of their patients every single time. Nationally, we've seen the bulk-billing rate skyrocket as a result of those changes. At the June 2026 quarter, 84.1 per cent of appointments were bulk-billed.
When we came to government, before we made our investment in bulk-billing, the national bulk-billing rate was in freefall, but now, in every single state and territory across the country, we are seeing those numbers climb. More than 3,800 practices are registered as Medicare bulk-billing. That's over 1,400 that previously operated as mixed billing clinics.
It means that around 97 per cent of the population are within a 20-minute drive of a bulk-billing practice. That's 97 per cent of Australians that can easily get the health care they need with just their Medicare card. I'm particularly proud of the bulk-billing rates in my home state of Western Australia.
We have traditionally lagged behind much of the country on bulk-billing. It's been a real challenge for my home state and for Western Australians. Since our bulk-billing incentive kicked off in November last year, bulk-billing rates in WA are up almost five per cent to 76.8 per cent.
That is something that our government is incredibly proud of and that I am incredibly proud of. Our government is committed to strengthening Medicare, to making sure that every Australian, no matter where they live and no matter their circumstances, can see a GP for free. This is really important for Australians who are struggling with the cost of living, who shouldn't have to worry about their bank balance when they need to see the doctor.
Our record $8.5 billion investment in bulk-billing is working. It is the largest investment in Medicare in our nation's history, and it's delivering real results for families, for young people and for older Australians, right across the country and in my home state of Western Australia. I am really pleased to be able to support this bill in the Senate so that we can continue to do just that.