Under Labor’s campaign promise, the incentive would be extended to all Australians from November 2025, for the first time.

“No Australian should have to check their bank balance to see if they can afford to see a doctor. That is not who we are. That is not the future we want for Australia,” he said.

Medicare shaping up as key election issue

Previously, rebates were increased to keep pace with inflation — a process known as indexation. The freeze essentially put indexation on ice.

The coalition is expected to defend Mr Dutton’s record, claiming a 1.5 per cent increase in bulk-billing rates during his term as health minister in 2013 and a more than 10 per cent fall in rates since Labor took office in 2022.

The current state of bulk-billing

However, data from other organisations paints a less flattering picture of bulk billing than the health department statistics.

With additional reporting from the Australian Associated Press.