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The Australian Government has announced a significant increase of six million bulk billed GP visits nationally from November 2023 to December 2024, averaging 100,000 additional visits each week. The rise is attributed to a $3.5 billion investment that tripled the bulk billing incentive, aiming to support pensioners, concession cardholders, and young families, however local data from Eden-Monaro tells a different story.

Despite national statistics indicating progress, local disparities are evident with residents in the Eden-Monaro electorate experiencing significant challenges finding GPs who bulk bill in the region.

Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mark Butler, labelled the investment as a pivotal move to counteract the previous decline in bulk billing, which he argues started during the Coalition’s tenure.

Mr Butler said the decline was partly due to a six-year freeze on Medicare rebates initiated under former Health Minister Peter Dutton, reportedly stripping $8.3 billion from Medicare by 2027-28. “When he was Health Minister, Peter Dutton tried to end bulk billing with a GP tax and then started a six-year freeze to Medicare rebates that the AMA says took billions out of Medicare,” Mr Butler said.

PHOTO: Mark Butler.

According to a joint media release from the Shadow Minister for Health, Senator Anne Ruston, and Liberal candidate for Eden-Monaro, Jo van der Plaat, GP bulk billing has dropped by 12.8% in Eden-Monaro. From 913,804 visits in 2021-22 under the previous government, the numbers have reduced to 627,837 in 2023-24.

PHOTO: Berridale Surgery offers bulk billing to pensioners, and concession cardholders.

Similarly, in the nearby Gilmore electorate, a decrease of 5.8% in bulk billed visits has been recorded. These figures have sparked criticism from the opposition, accusing the Labor Government of failing to address a primary care crisis in regional New South Wales.

Senator Ruston expressed concerns over Australians facing rising costs and reduced access to medical care, particularly during a cost-of-living crisis.

“It is seriously concerning that Australians living in southern NSW have had their access to free GP appointments sent backwards, particularly in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis,” Shadow Minister Ruston said.

The Salvation Army’s first Social Justice Stocktake for 2025 has further exposed the issues, showing healthcare access as one of the top concerns in Eden-Monaro.

60.2 percent of respondents in Eden-Monaro considered this a significant community issue, while only 15.8 percent of GP clinics offered bulk billing—a stark contrast to the national average of 25 percent of GPs offering bulk billing.

Liberal candidate for Eden-Monaro Jo van der Plaat emphasised the geographic challenges within her electorate, with its vast 33,000 km² area exacerbating access issues for many residents saying, “It is critical we fix this bulk billing crisis and make sure our regional communities get the first-class primary healthcare that they deserve, when they need it, without having to worry about the damage it could do to their family budget.”

“I know that a bulk billing fall of almost 13% means that people are going without the health services that they need, they’ve told me.”

PHOTO: Liberal candidate for Eden-Monaro shaking hands with the leader of the opposition, Peter Dutton.

Minister Butler highlighted the national improvements in bulk billing, but recognised the continuous efforts needed to strengthen Medicare further with more doctors and Urgent Care Clinics.

“Thanks to our efforts to strengthen Medicare, we’ve got more doctors, we’ve got more bulk billing, and we’ve got Urgent Care Clinics that have already seen over a million Australians, all fully bulk billed,” Mr Butler remarked.

“That is making a meaningful difference, but we know we need to do more to strengthen Medicare.”

As the government celebrates its national achievements, the situation in Eden-Monaro and similar regions underscores the ongoing challenge of ensuring equitable healthcare access across Australia.

With the next election approaching, how these issues are addressed could sway votes in critical marginal electorates.

The Reserve Bank of Australia’s recent decision to cut interest rates by 25 basis points to 4.10 per cent has garnered significant attention, reflecting the need for economic relief amidst high costs of living. The move will provide relief to many households, but much more

needs to happen to address the broader social issues impacting the Eden-Monaro region, according to local organisations.

In Eden-Monaro, the Salvation Army social justice stocktake highlighted deep-seated challenges, with 74.1 per cent of residents identifying housing affordability and homelessness as critical issues, a sharp increase from previous data.

PHOTO: Salvation Army social justice stocktake findings – Eden-Monaro.

The Salvation Army emphasises that not having a secure home exacerbates other social issues. They state, “Addressing the housing system is fundamental to solving other justice concerns.”

While the rate cut offers some relief for homeowners, providing an estimated saving of $960 yearly on an average $500,000 mortgage, it does little for the significant portion of the population who do not own homes.

Dr Cassandra Goldie, CEO of the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS), stresses that mortgage relief does not mitigate the struggles of low-income individuals reliant on government support, stating, “Millions on low and fixed incomes, without mortgages, need more than rate cuts—they need direct government support.”

PHOTO: Cassandra Goldie.

Goldie continued, emphasising the need to increase support payments like JobSeeker and Youth Allowance to align with the pension rate.

The urgency for broader intervention in regions like Eden-Monaro is underscored by the climbing rates of homelessness, child poverty, and inadequate access to essential services. With 543 people experiencing homelessness and a deficit of 2900 dwellings in the region.

Mental health issues, closely tied to housing stress, have also risen, with the Salvation Army noting the interplay between mental illness and other disadvantages, arguing that “medical responses must be complemented with addressing underlying disadvantages.”

Liberal candidate for Eden-Monaro Jo van der Plaat said she has heard a number of stories of hardship from residents in the region.

“It illustrates just how dire a lack of mental health services is in Eden-Monaro when strangers approach me and confide in me about the struggles they face trying to access mental health services for their teenager,” Ms van der Plaat said.

Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers insists the rate cut is part of broader efforts against inflation, stating, “This is the soft landing we’ve been preparing for, but more work is to be done.” However, the gap between systemic change and immediate aid needed by those struggling within Eden-Monaro remains vast.

PHOTO: Jim Chalmers.

With financial hardship reported by 55.6 per cent of Eden-Monaro respondents as an issue within the community, Mr Chalmers highlighted the progress made, he acknowledged the ongoing struggles faced by Australians, emphasising that government efforts will remain focused on “the cost of living” as a primary objective.