Regions with the lowest bulk billing rates revealed

Doctors are charging up to $50 in gap fees as bulk billing plummets and we reveal the areas where the price to see a GP is lowest.

Many Australians are battling to see a GP as the number of free services plunge.

Patients are paying up to $50 out of their own pocket to see a GP as bulk billing is in free fall.

The proportion of GP visits that are bulk billed or provided free to patients has plunged by over 11 points from 89.6 per cent in January 2021 to just 78.8 per cent in June 2023.

If you are aged 16-64 the bulk billing rate is even lower just 71.5 per cent.

More patients are paying to see a doctor and when they do the amount they are charged out of their own pocket has also surged from $42 to $50 in some areas since 2021.

Patients are paying up to $50 out of their own pocket to see a GP

New data shows in the year to June 2023 10.5 per cent of patients are never bulk billed, up from 4.2 per cent the year before and only 51.7 per cent are always bulk billed down from 65.8 per cent the year before.

Our analysis has identified the regions with the lowest bulk billing rates using Department of Health data based on Primary Health Networks.

In NSW the Hunter, New England and Central Coast areas had the lowest rate of bulk billing in the state at 72.8 per cent and patients were facing charges of $48 out of their own pocket to see a non-bulk billing GP.

South West Sydney had the highest bulk billing rate in NSW at 94.9 per cent.

In Victoria the Murray region had the lowest rate of bulk billing in the state at 72.2 per cent while North West Melbourne had the highest bulk billing rate in the state at 83.1 per cent.

The highest out of pocket charges in Victoria were in South East Melbourne where GP gap fees were $49.

In Queensland Brisbane North had the lowest rate of bulk billing in the state at 71.3 per cent while Western Queensland had the highest bulk billing rate in the state at 82.4 per cent.

The highest out of pocket charges in Qld were in Western Queensland where GP gap fees were $48.

In South Australia, Country SA had the lowest rate of bulk billing in the state at 73.8 per cent while Adelaide had the highest bulk billing rate in the state at 74.6 per cent.

The highest out of pocket charges in SA were in Adelaide where GP gap fees were $37.73.

In Tasmania the bulk billing rate is 70.2 per cent and GP gap fees were $42.57.

RACGP president Dr Nicole Higgins Picture supplied

The ACT has the lowest rate of bulk billing in the country at 56.1 per cent and the GP gap fees are $50.41.

Wages, rents and inflation are surging yet the Medicare rebate underpinning bulk billing rose by a meagre $1.45 to just $41.20 in July for a 20 minute consultation.

This compare to the average $67 fees charged by dentists for an oral examination and the $100 fees charged by a physiotherapist.

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners president Dr Nicole Higgins said the rebate did not reflect the true cost of providing a services and warned the situation would only get worse unless state governments backed off plans to charge GP practices up to $800,000 per practice payroll taxes.

“Since Labor came into government, bulkbilling rates have been dropping consecutively every single month,” Opposition health spokeswoman Senator Anne Ruston said.

“Rates have continued to fall every month despite the Government’s Budget announcement that they will triple the bulkbilling incentive, showing they have failed to restore confidence in the system at this critical time,” she said.

Opposition health spokeswoman Senator Anne Ruston said bulk billing places are falling under the current government. Picture: Ben Clark

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

“Peter Dutton froze the Medicare rebate when he was the Health Minister almost 10 years ago. A freeze that remained in place for six long years and that led to a very substantial decline in bulk billing in general practice,” Mr Butler said.

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.

The government is also funding a new one hour consultation to help GPs deal with complex mental health and other cases with a $191 rebate.

However, Dr Higgins said many practices had already decoupled from bulk billing and it would be difficult to re-engage.

“Without urgent action from the Albanese Government to address the current decline in bulkbilling, Australians’ access to healthcare will be increasingly at risk,” Senator Ruston said.

Originally published as Regions with the lowest bulk billing rates revealed