Australians will have access to an extra 18 million bulk-billed general practitioner visits a year as part of a major election pledge from the federal government.
The election date has yet to be announced but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has promised a re-elected Labor government would spend $8.5 billion expanding bulk billing and training GPs and nurses.
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"I want every Australian to know they only need their Medicare card, not their credit card, to receive the health care they need," he is expected to tell reporters on Sunday in Launceston.
"This is a policy that lifts up our entire nation and ensures no one is held back and no one is left behind."
Fewer GP clinics have been taking on bulk-billed patients as they struggle to keep up with rising operational costs and increasing service complexity.
