Mark Butler (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Hansard source

What I can confirm—and I've said this publicly on many occasions—is that, when we came to government, bulk-billing was in freefall, particularly for GP consults. There's no surprise why it was in freefall. Under the worst health minister in the Medicare era, a years-long Medicare rebate freeze was put in place that was then continued by the second-worst health minister in the Medicare era, the member for Farrer. So, yes, the bulk-billing rate was in decline when we came to office.

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