Where you're most (and least) likely to find a bulk-billing GP   
Nearly 7,000 GP clinics across Australia were contacted to determine how many offered bulk billing for new patients. Here's what we know.
SBS News
Jan 8 2024

KEY POINTS
One in four Victorian clinics bulk bill new patients, one in 10 in WA and less than one in 100 in Tasmania.
Average out-of-pocket costs for a GP visit are highest in NSW, ACT and Tasmania.
The rate of bulk billing across Australia dropped by 11.1 per cent between April 2023 and November 2023.
If you've found yourself calling around to find a doctor's clinic that bulk bills, you may not be alone.

A report released on Monday revealed fewer than one in four GP clinics will bulk bill every patient who walks through the door.
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After contacting more than 6,800 clinics across Australia, Cleanbill, an online healthcare directory, found the national bulk billing rate for doctors accepting new patients now sits at 24.2 per cent.


A decline in bulk billing
By bulk billing, doctors bill Medicare instead of the patient, so there is no out-of-pocket cost for a visit to the doctor.

A total of 514 clinics across Australia that bulk billed all patients at the start of the year had stopped by November 2023.

Findings from Cleanbill's previous report in April 2023 showed that 35 per cent of GP clinics in Australia offered bulk billing to new patients.

That's a drop of more than 11 per cent within the year.
A female doctor wearing a headscarf speaks with a man and a woman.
The decrease in bulk billing is even more pronounced in regional areas, where service delivery costs may be higher.
Western Australia is the state that has seen the biggest reduction in bulk billing over the past year.   

While the rate of bulk billing in the state was 26.1 per cent in 2023, it is now almost 17 per cent lower, coming in at 9.2 per cent.

It was already hard to find a bulk billing doctor in Tasmania in the first half of the year, but by November, just two of more than 100 clinics in Tasmania bulk billed, of which one of those charged a one-off $167 fee for initial appointments.   

The ACT has the second lowest access to bulk billing with 3.8 per cent of clinics providing the service to new patients.
The state you are most likely to be bulk billed in
NSW remains the state where most clinics taking on new patients are bulk billed. However, the number has reduced.

The state went from having a bulk billing rate of 48.6 per cent earlier in the year, to 37.2 per cent towards the end of it.
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Increasing out-of-pocket costs
Cleanbill's report also tallied out-of-pocket costs for GP visits.

The average gap fee paid for a visit to the doctor across Australia was $41.68, which is 3.1 per cent higher than earlier in the year.

Those in Tasmania face the biggest cost to see a GP, with the average gap to be paid being $10 more, at $51.67.

Cleanbill founder James Gillespie said health care was often more costly in regional areas.

"The costs of running a practice in those rural areas mean that the fees tend to be higher, and bulk billing rates tend to be lower.

"That's why I think we've observed that in Tasmania and gotten to the point where you only have one clinic that is bulk billing all new patients and still taking on new patients," he said.

Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) president Dr Nicole Higgins said the findings of the Cleanbill report were further evidence of the need to do more to ensure everyone could access affordable care.
READ MORE

Just 35 per cent of GP clinics bulk bill new patients.

"It’s absolutely vital that everyone can afford general practice care – it helps people live healthier lives and reduces pressure on our hospitals.

"It’s also our most cost-effective health service, with a 20-minute GP consult costing around $40, whereas a visit to hospital costs over $600, and much more if a patient is admitted," Higgins said.

She said the situation was a direct result of the 10-year freeze on patient Medicare rebates.   

"Now even though more people access general practice than any other health service, it gets just 6.5 per cent of the total government spend on health care," Higgins said.

She said that practices in many states are increasing fees to cover the costs of an extra state payroll tax on independent practitioners, that had recently been introduced, amid inflationary pressures.

Opposition health spokesperson Anne Ruston urged Labor to take "urgent action" and said Australians had been "given no confidence that these alarming trends will be turned around."


Cost of living takes toll on health sector

In a statement to SBS, she warned a visit to the doctor could become even more expensive.   

"The cost of seeing a GP could rise to over $100 per consult and Australians are struggling to afford the rising costs of health care," Ruston said.

OK

aquascoot wrote on Jan 9^th, 2024 at 6:10am:


"Personal responsibility" in Australia again.

Seeing as you're still obsessed with "personal responsibility" have you ever considered moving to Japan or somewhere in Asia where they do take "personal responsibility" a lot more seriously than they do in Australia (and most Western countries)?

I'll help you pack your bags if you like. 

Carl D wrote on Jan 9^th, 2024 at 8:22am:



of course carl

you and many like you see the whole purpose of politics as

"who can look after me the best"

your whole philosophy of life is that of a frightened (and lazy) child.

its really quite tragic

John Smith wrote on Jan 9^th, 2024 at 12:52pm:




From the farm of aquascoot... and I wouldn't be too sure about the "humanely raised" part either knowing him.