Jan 20, 2025

Should All GP Visits Be Bulk-Billed? We Asked 5 Experts

Should All GP Visits Be Bulk-Billed? We Asked 5 Experts

A new report by a GP listing company made headlines this week showing low rates of bulk billing for GP visits across Australia.

Bulk billing means the consultation is free for the patient and the GP accepts what Medicare covers (the “benefit” or “rebate”) as the full payment.

The highest reported bulk billing rate was in New South Wales (34.5%) and the lowest in the ACT (3.3%) and Tasmania (0%). This caused the Tasmanian health minister to declare bulk billing “dead” in her state.

But does this really mean no Tasmanians are being bulk-billed at the GP?

No – as federal health minister Mark Butler was quick to point out after the report’s release, the company asked 6,925 GP clinics only whether they had standard, weekday consultations available to be bulk-billed for adults with no concessions.

A range of people do have concessions – children under 16, pensioners and people with a health care card – meaning the actual bulk-billing rate is much higher, although Butler said he’d like it to be higher still.

How high should we be aiming? Many Australians may assume universal health care means it should be free to see a GP, regardless of your age, income or postcode.

So we asked five experts: should we be aiming to bulk-bill everyone?

Four out of five said yes.

Here are their detailed responses.

The Conversation

Ruth McHugh-Dillon, Assistant Health Editor, The Conversation

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. All people should be able to see a bilk billed GP. So yes, bulk billing needs to be more wide spread in all States.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

How do we farewell an aged care resident after they die?

  Once upon a time, when a resident passed away in an aged care facility, it was as though people tried to hide the fact that it had happened. Doors were closed, and blinds drawn. People were ushered away, and bodies were quietly taken out the back door. Fast forward to today, and there is... Read More

Dementia: why antibiotics and vaccines have been linked to lower risk of the disease

A new Cambridge-led study suggests that common prescription drugs, including antibiotics, antivirals, and anti-inflammatory medications, may lower dementia risk. Read More

Top 10 Global Megatrends in Ageing 2019

After a close to a decade worth of innovation and collaboration in the ageing space, Singapore has the honour of hosting the 2019 edition of the Ageing Asia Innovation Forum, 10 years after the event initially captivated the hearts and minds of those with a passion for improving the lives of elderly people. This year,... Read More
Advertisement