What is Medicare Bulk Billing?

Medicare Bulk Billing explained

Medicare Bulk Billing is when your health professional bills Medicare directly for the services they provided to you. You do not pay for the medical service they provided because the health professional bills Medicare.

Your health professional accepts the Medicare Benefit as full payment for the service.

You assign the Medicare Benefit to them when you:

• sign a form
• press OK on the EFTPOS terminal after your appointment.

You can be bulk billed for a medical service if you are:

• enrolled in Medicare and
• your doctor or other health professional chooses to bulk bill.

Not all health professionals bulk bill. You can check with your health service provider when you make an appointment.

If your health professional does not bulk bill, you need to pay for your appointment. If the service you received is listed on the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS), you may be able to claim back the schedule fee from Medicare.

What does bulk billing cover?

Bulk billing can cover:

• visits to general practitioners (GPs) and specialists who bulk bill
• tests and scans such as x-rays and pathology tests
• eye tests performed by optometrists.

How to find a GP that bulk bills

You can find a GP or health specialist that bulk bills by using Service Finder on the healthdirect website, the national virtual public health information service is funded by the Australian Government in partnership with the state and territory governments.