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

Well, Mr Speaker, no-one has talked about the sorry state of bulk-billing for the last several years, including since we came to government, more than me, which is why we put a record investment in last year's budget to turn it around. We tripled the bulk-billing incentive, and, since it kicked in on 1 November, it has started to rise in every single state and territory in the Federation, in seven months delivering 1.7 million additional visits. I've never sought to deny that bulk-billing was sliding. I advocated in this parliament, in the community and in the Expenditure Review Committee to deliver the biggest investment in the history of Medicare for bulk-billing.

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