Labor Pledges $8.5B Medicare Overhaul to Expand Free GP Visits by 2030
The plan aims to triple bulk-billing incentives, add new GP trainees, and save families hundreds annually, with the Coalition promising to match the investment.
- Labor's $8.5 billion Medicare plan seeks to make nine out of ten GP visits free by 2030 through expanded bulk-billing incentives.
- The proposal includes tripling payments for GPs who bulk-bill all patients, with additional bonuses for clinics that fully adopt bulk-billing practices.
- Labor projects the initiative will fund 18 million extra bulk-billed visits annually and save families up to $859 million in out-of-pocket costs by 2030.
- The plan also allocates funding for 400 nursing scholarships and training 2,000 new GPs annually by 2028 to address workforce shortages.
- The Coalition has pledged to match Labor's $8.5 billion plan, adding $500 million for mental health support, while both parties debate past Medicare management.
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