The landscape of general practice in the Illawarra has undergone a dramatic and positive shift, with the number of clinics offering bulk-billing for standard consultations soaring in recent months. This significant increase comes after the federal government expanded its bulk-billing incentive program, making it more financially viable for doctors to offer the service to all Medicare cardholders.
A Dramatic Reversal in Bulk-Billing Trends
An analysis by the Illawarra Mercury has identified at least 42 clinics in the Illawarra region that now bulk-bill Medicare cardholders for standard consultations. This information is based on data from the health directory Cleanbill and the federal government's own healthdirect service. This marks a stunning reversal from just two years ago.
In February 2024, a similar analysis revealed a starkly different picture: only 16 clinics had any bulk-billing GPs, and a mere six were accepting new patients. The catalyst for this change was a federal policy shift in November 2025. Previously, the incentive payment for bulk-billing was primarily targeted at vulnerable groups like pensioners and children. The expanded program now applies the incentive to all Medicare cardholders receiving certain services, including standard consultations.
Practices that commit to fully bulk-billing their patients receive an additional 12.5 per cent benefit on top of the standard Medicare rebate. The impact is felt beyond the Illawarra, with 81 bulk-billing practices now operating across the Cunningham, Whitlam, and Gilmore electorates—which include areas like the Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven—up from 40 previously.
Local Clinics Embrace the Change for Community Benefit
Local medical centres have been quick to respond to the new incentives, citing both philosophical and practical reasons for the switch. King Street Medical in Warrawong is one clinic that has moved to full bulk-billing. Director and chair Brad Neilson said the decision aligned with the clinic's core values of providing affordable care, particularly important in the lower socioeconomic area it serves.
"We've always prided ourselves on affordable care," Mr Neilson stated. He acknowledged it was too early to gauge the full financial impact, noting the clinic doesn't profit from its weekend services, which have seen a significant jump in patient numbers. However, he emphasised a commitment to ensuring doctors' incomes are not negatively affected.
Similarly, Corrimal Healthcare Centre has returned to bulk-billing all patients. Dr Anjum Shaikh explained that rising overheads had forced the practice to introduce private billing for some patients years ago, a move that left GPs at a financial loss. The expanded incentive has allowed them to revert to their previous model.
Dr Shaikh highlighted a critical benefit of the policy: preventing avoidable hospitalisations. He noted that many patients who were ineligible for bulk-billing but couldn't afford the gap fee would simply avoid seeing a doctor, often leading to worse health outcomes and more expensive emergency care. "The expansion of the incentive was a sensible approach," he said.
A National Shift and Political Commitment
The trend is reflected across New South Wales and the nation. A Cleanbill report shows that 323 clinics in NSW have switched to full bulk-billing since the start of 2025, representing almost 52 per cent of practices—a substantial increase from 34.5 per cent. Nationally, Whitlam MP Carol Berry reported that approximately 1200 practices had made the change since November.
Cleanbill's analysis indicates a complete reversal of the decline in bulk-billing clinics observed over the preceding three years. The federal government has set an ambitious target for 90 per cent of all GP visits to be bulk-billed by 2030.
Local federal members have welcomed the progress. Whitlam MP Carol Berry said the increase was "a very important step in our commitment to making sure that people can go to the doctor when they need to rather than when they feel they can afford to." Member for Cunningham Alison Byrnes echoed this, thanking local GPs for their work in supporting the community.
It is important to note that not all clinics have adopted full bulk-billing. Some GPs continue to charge a gap fee, arguing the increased incentive still doesn't cover their operational costs or that their care model doesn't fit within the time limits of the eligible services. Nonetheless, the data shows a clear and significant trend towards greater accessibility of free standard GP consultations for residents of the Illawarra and beyond.
