Suburbs compared: How much a GP visit will leave you out of pocket

Amid revelations Brisbane is the least affordable capital city for health care, we reveal your out-of-pocket costs. SEARCH YOUR SUBURB

Queenslanders are being priced out of seeing a GP as the number of bulk-billing clinics plummets and out-of-pocket costs soar, with Brisbane the least affordable capital city for health care.

A stark four-year comparison reveals that in 2022 only 14 per cent of clinics surveyed offered bulk-billing, down from 32 per cent in 2018, while gap costs to patients in mixed-billing clinics jumped by an average of 13 per cent or $5 – from $38.94 to $44 for a standard 15-minute consultation.

Patients in low socio-economic areas were slugged a staggering $10.35 extra.

The data, released by Cleanbill online healthcare directory, shows an alarming trend that threatens to push more people into overburdened hospital emergency wards, according to Cleanbill founder James Gillespie.

Mr Gillespie said less access to affordable care would “in some cases lead to Australians being priced out of seeing their local GP”.

“For these people, their (health) issues don’t go away – but they either delay or don’t go to see a GP and end up in hospital emergency.”

He said Brisbane’s statistics were “scary” but reflective of a national problem.

“It falls to state and federal governments to ensure these numbers don’t get worse.”

Cleanbill analysed 416 clinics across Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide.

Of the 59 surveyed across 15 postcodes in Brisbane, only six clinics bulk-billed in 2022, with postcodes 4000 (City, Spring Hill) and 4129 (Loganholme) scrapping bulk billing.

Only one bulk billing clinic each remained in 4006 (Bowen Hills/Fortitude Valley), 4101 (Highgate Hill, West End), 4102 (Woolloongabba), 4301 (Redbank/Redbank Plains) and 4510 (Caboolture).

Clinics that moved to mixed billing – where patients pay a fee to bridge the gap between the GP consultation and government subsidies – increased in those postcodes between 2018 and 2022.

In Redbank Plains and Caboolture, gap fees rose by $10.35, from $22.40 to $27.40 respectively.

Patients in Brisbane City/Spring Hill were charged the most overall at $51.21 (a gap increase of $6.05), closely followed by New Farm/Teneriffe ($50.25, $9.85 increase) and Bowen Hills/Fortitude Valley ($47.08, $9.35 increase).

AMA Queensland president Maria Boulton said GPs had been subsidising the health system for years and could no longer afford to bulk-bill.

AMAQ president Dr Maria Boulton

“It personally hurts now to have to continue to raise gap fees as the Medicare rebates fall further and further behind,” Dr Bolton said.

“We are small businesses, with rent, insurance, power bills, rates, staff and tax to pay and now face the tough decision to increase gap fees or close doors.”

Dr Bolton said Medicare rebates had not kept pace with inflation or the cost of providing health care.

“The fault lies with successive federal governments for grossly underfunding patients’ access to their GPs.

“On top of this, we have a new patient tax because state governments have changed the interpretation of how payroll tax applies to independent GPs working at practices.

“Practices pay payroll tax for their reception staff, admin staff, nurses and others – but most GPs work independently of the practice, essentially renting the office space and admin support.

“They have never been regarded as employees and this change to interpretation is potentially disastrous.

“We were relieved the Queensland Treasurer announced a pause in February 2023 on this new tax. However, we need an exemption for GPs if we want general practices to remain viable.”