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What’s in the 2025–26 Federal Budget for GPs?
The RACGP has welcomed GP workforce incentives but said while ‘it’s clear general practice is central in this year’s Budget’, there are still missed opportunities.
RACGP Vice President Dr Ramya Raman speaking to media inside Canberra’s Parliament House on Federal Budget night.
When handing down the 2025–26 Federal Budget on Tuesday night, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said it has ‘five main priorities’, one of those being strengthening Medicare.
As already announced, the spending includes $8.5 billion for general practice and Medicare, which the RACGP says makes it ‘clear general practice is central in this year’s Budget’.
The Federal Government made several high-profile health announcements ahead of budget day, leaving few surprises within its pages for GPs.
Its centrepiece is the expansion of the tripled bulk-billing incentive to the whole population, with the Federal Government’s goal of ‘nine out of 10 visits to the GP to be free’.
Speaking from Parliament House in Canberra on Tuesday, RACGP Vice President Dr Ramya Raman welcomed the overall investment boost, describing it as ‘long needed’.
‘It shows that the Government was recognising the work of general practice, as well as GPs,’ she said.
‘But we are concerned regarding the Government’s work expecting nine out of 10 appointments to be bulk billed.
‘Medicare has been underfunded for decades … we are calling on the Government to increase in patient Medicare rebates, for longer consultations for the chronic and complex needs of patients, as well as mental health consultations.’
Funding for GPs within the 2025–26 Federal Budget includes:
The spending will also allocate $248.7 million for salary incentives for junior doctors to specialise in general practice and $3.2 million to uncap the number of medical Commonwealth Supported Places for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
It will see $26.3 million spent on a health assessment item on the MBS for women of all ages experiencing perimenopause and menopause, and $109.1 million for two national trials to make it easier for women to get contraceptives and treatment for uncomplicated urinary tract infections.
RACGP President Dr Michael Wright also welcomed the funding boost, but said he is concerned the plan will not deliver the bulk-billing rates expected ‘because patient rebates are still too low to cover the cost of care’.
‘There is a missed opportunity here to properly fund patient Medicare rebates to ensure affordable access to general practice care for all Australians,’ he said.
‘That’s why we’ve been saying for a long time that Medicare funding should be targeted to those who need it most, including the 61% of Australians living with chronic and complex illnesses.
‘Our
plan for accessible, affordable general practice care for all Australia calls for a 25% increase to patient rebates for mental health, which are one of the most common consults, and a 40% increase to patient rebates for longer consults.’
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