Why this matters for your practice
The BBPIP is the largest change to general practice bulk billing economics in a generation. From 1 November 2025 it added a 12.5% loading payment for practices that bulk bill, and at the same time the tripled bulk billing incentive was extended to every Medicare-eligible patient, not just children under 16 and concession card holders as before. For a practice that already bulk bills heavily, the program can materially change the maths on whether to keep bulk billing.
But the money is gated. You only receive the BBPIP loading if your practice has taken specific registration steps, and the loading only applies to services that are actually bulk billed.
How the 12.5% loading works
For every $1 of Medicare benefit paid on an eligible bulk-billed service, a participating practice receives an additional 12.5% loading. That loading is split 50/50 between the practice and the individual GP who provided the service. It is paid on top of the normal MBS benefit and on top of the bulk billing incentive items, not instead of them.
Payments run on the PIP quarterly cycle. The first BBPIP payment covered the two-month period of November and December 2025 and was made in January 2026, with regular quarterly payments following.
What you must do to qualify
- Be an eligible practice (accredited or registering for accreditation).
- Be registered for MyMedicare.
- Add BBPIP as a program in the Organisation Register.
- Bulk bill the eligible services. The loading only attaches to bulk-billed services.
Practices that bulk bill 100% of eligible services for all patients see the largest benefit, because every eligible service then attracts the loading.
BBPIP is not the same as the bulk billing incentive
Two different things share similar names. The bulk billing incentive (items such as 10990) is paid per service at the time of billing. The BBPIP is a separate quarterly practice-level loading on top of that. A bulk-billed consult can attract both. Confusing the two leads practices to assume they are already in the program when they are not.
Common mistakes
- Not registering for MyMedicare first. No MyMedicare, no BBPIP.
- Forgetting to add BBPIP in the Organisation Register. Eligibility is not automatic.
- Expecting the loading on non-bulk-billed services. Privately billed services do not attract it.
- Not reconciling the GP split. The 50% practitioner share has implications for payroll and contractor arrangements that should be documented.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the BBPIP and when did it start?
The Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program started on 1 November 2025. It pays participating practices a 12.5% loading on the Medicare benefit for eligible bulk-billed services, on top of the existing bulk billing incentive, and extended the tripled incentive to all Medicare-eligible patients.
How much is the BBPIP worth?
The BBPIP pays an extra 12.5% of the Medicare benefit on each eligible bulk-billed service, split evenly between the practice and the GP. The total depends on how many services your practice bulk bills, so practices that bulk bill all eligible services benefit most.
Do I need MyMedicare to get BBPIP?
Yes. To participate in the BBPIP a practice must be registered for MyMedicare and must add BBPIP as a program in the Organisation Register. Bulk billing alone, without those registration steps, does not earn the loading.
Related terms
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