IPSWICH patients are increasingly visiting their GP without reaching for their wallets, with the number of fully bulk-billing medical practices across the Blair electorate almost doubling in just 12 months.
New Federal Government figures reveal 35 general practices across Blair now exclusively bulk bill their patients, compared with just 19 a year ago, marking a significant improvement in healthcare affordability for local families already battling rising household expenses.
More significantly, 89.1 per cent of GP services delivered across Blair were bulk billed as at June 2026, compared with 81.6 per cent in October 2025.
Federal Health and Ageing Minister Mark Butler said more than 97 per cent of Australians now lived within a 20-minute drive of a medical practice offering fully bulk-billed appointments.
Federal Member for Blair Shayne Neumann said the local figures demonstrated the Government’s investment was delivering tangible benefits for residents across Ipswich, West Moreton and the Somerset Region.
“Everyone should be able to access healthcare without worrying about the cost,” he said.
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) President Michael Wright welcomed the improvements, while also cautioning against measuring the success of Medicare reforms solely through the number of appointments delivered, warning that the affordability of longer consultations remained a significant weakness in the system.
Mr Neumann said the Ipswich Medicare Urgent Care Clinic had recorded more than 45,300 visits since opening three years ago.
