Geelong bulk billing practices, cost of GP visits revealed

The number of bulk billing practices across Geelong has dropped by close to 30 per cent since October 2022 as they become less viable to run. SEE THE FULL LIST.

The number of bulk billing practices across Geelong has dropped by 30 per cent since October 2022

More patients are paying to see their GP as the number of bulk billing practices across Geelong continues to plummet.

A Geelong Advertiser analysis found just 14 practices across the region offered no-fee bulk billing, down from 20 practices less than a year ago.

Five clinics – Teesdale Family Medical Centre; Forrest Road Medical Centre; Corio Medical Clinic; Bell Post Medical Centre and Gheringhap Medical Centre – all recently discontinued offering bulk billing to all patients.

However, most of the clinics still offer bulk billing for kids under 16, pension card holders, and health care card holders.

A standard consultation at any of the listed clinics now costs between $75 to $98 before teh Medicare rebate.

The Medicare rebate generally covers around half of the fee, but payment in full still needs to be made upfront.

Recently released Department of Health and Aged care data also found the proportion of GP visits that were bulk billed or provided free to patients nationally had plunged by more 11 points from 89.6 per cent in January 2021 to just 78.8 per cent in June 2023.

For the those aged 16-64 the bulk billing rate was just 71.5 per cent.

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Chair Dr Anita Munoz said the issue in Geelong was a microcosm of a larger problem.

“The amount that a universal insurance scheme is prepared to pay for services by general practitioners (GPs) has been frozen for over a decade, and has only now started to unfreeze,” she said.

RACGP Chair Anita Munoz says its getting harder for bulk billing practices to stay open.

Dr Munoz said this, compounded with recent negative economic conditions, had only made the problem worse and was preventing people from seeking medical treatment.

“The sickest and the most vulnerable are fearing the worst, because the government is not prepared to meet its responsibility, to invest via our universal insurance scheme, into the well being of these people,” Dr Munoz said.

“In general, increasing numbers of people who cannot see a GP are now ending up in emergency clinics, where the costs of rendering services are in some cases 10 to 15 times the amount.”

Health Minster Mark Butler blamed the fall on a decade of cuts and neglect by the former government.

The Albanese government tripled the bulk billing incentive in the May budget so a GP in remote areas will get paid $81 to treat a patients and a doctor in the city $62.

But this hike in the incentive will only apply to patients aged under 16 or health care card holders like pensioners and welfare recipients and does not take effect until November 1.

Originally published as Geelong bulk billing practices, cost of GP visits revealed