The number of GPs who bulk bill has declined 15 per cent in two years, and average out-of-pocket costs are climbing, according to a new report from online healthcare directory Cleanbill. The data paints a concerning picture about healthcare accessibility in Australia.
Cleanbill chief executive James Gillespie said the bulk billing rate for new adult patients has fallen to 20.7 per cent nationally, down from 35.7 per cent in late 2022. The report is based on calls to 6,925 GP clinics across the country.
Access to bulk billing varies significantly by location. New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland are the only states where the rate exceeds 10 per cent. In Tasmania, the bulk billing rate is now zero per cent.
Australian Medical Association president Dr Danielle McMullen attributed the decline to rising practice costs and decades of underinvestment in Medicare. She called for more GP training places and opportunities for early career doctors to experience general practice.
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners president Dr Michael Wright also urged for more rebates on longer consultations, noting that Australians increasingly need more time with their GP due to chronic health conditions.
Health Minister Mark Butler said the government's record investment to strengthen Medicare has stopped the freefall in bulk billing created under the previous government. He claimed that after Labor tripled the bulk billing incentive, bulk billing has started rising again, delivering an additional 5.8 million free GP visits in 13 months.
