Not enough: State health ministers tell Mark Butler to increase GP bulk-billing incentives again

The eight state and territory health ministers also called for restrictions on medical school places to be lifted.
Lauren Kelly
Minister for Health and Ageing Mark Butler.

State and territory health ministers are calling for another increase to bulk-billing incentives. 

Last week they published an open letter to the federal health minister, Mark Butler, saying he needs to do more to tackle what they described as “a national crisis”.

The eight ministers pointed to the “unprecedented funding” state and territory governments were having to invest in public hospital capacity and the workforce, and the current toll of winter viruses.

But they also warned that long-term problems elsewhere in the health system, including in general practice, were “coming home to roost”.