Government Lowers Annual GP Attendance Target
28 Aug 2026
Under its new Corporate Strategy 2026–27, the Department now aims for more than 80% of Australians to have at least one Medicare-funded GP visit during the year. The previous target was 85%.
The change comes as Australians increasingly use different ways to access healthcare, including pharmacies, private online clinics and other government health programs.
The Department said it expects demand for Medicare services to continue falling as these alternatives become more common.
In 2025–26, 83.6% of Australians had at least one GP visit, including services provided through urgent care centres.
The Department previously considered anything below 82% a significant drop that would require a review. Under the new strategy, this trigger has been lowered to 78%.
Data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows that around 88% of Australians had a Medicare-subsidised GP consultation each year between 2017–18 and 2019–20. The figure later changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching about 90% in 2021–22, partly due to COVID-19 vaccination services and the expansion of telehealth.
At the same time, bulk billing has increased while the overall number of Medicare-subsidised GP services has fallen.
Services Australia data shows there were 134.1 million bulk-billed GP services in 2025–26, an increase of 3.5 million from the previous year. Government spending on these services reached $8.18 billion.
However, the total number of Medicare-subsidised GP services fell by more than two million compared with the previous financial year, reaching 165.7 million.
RACGP President Dr Michael Wright said the lower target reflects major changes in how Australians are accessing healthcare.
He raised concerns about healthcare being delivered outside the Medicare system, particularly through private online providers, and questioned whether all providers are subject to the same quality and safety expectations.
Dr Wright also highlighted the importance of continuity of care, where patients regularly see their GP and build an ongoing relationship with their practice.
The Department said reaching its new 80% target would show that its policies are helping Australians access primary care, which can help prevent illness and manage chronic conditions while reducing the need for more expensive acute or emergency care.
The new strategy also includes targets for the GP workforce across different Modified Monash Areas, reflecting expected workforce shortages in some parts of Australia.
For 2026–27, the Department has set workforce targets of 28,430 GPs in MM1 areas, 5,077 in MM2, 4,276 in MM3, 2,950 in MM4, 3,748 in MM5, 1,091 in MM6 and 1,319 in MM7.
The Department expects the GP workforce to continue growing in future years.
It has also set a national bulk-billing target of 80.8% for 2026–27.
Government Lowers Annual GP Attendance Target
Source: newsGP / Department of Health, Disability and Ageing / Australian Institute of Health and Welfare / Services Australia