GPs ditching bulk billing as costs rise and Medicare rebates lag, survey shows

Doctors are increasingly scrapping bulk billing, according to a survey of almost 500 GPs, with stalling Medicare rebates and the costs of running a practice cited as key reasons.

Of those that changed their billing, 33% moved from bulk billing to mixed billing, and 67% changed from mixed billing to private billing. Rising costs was the reason for the switch given by 77% of GPs, while 17% cited Medicare cuts and 6% attributed the change to Covid-related costs.

When more than 1,000 GPs were asked the same survey question last year, just 10% said they had recently changed their billing model. The proportion of GPs considering changing has also increased, the surveys show.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) said Medicare rebates for GP consultations have not kept pace with the cost of providing high-quality care.

The impact of the rebate freeze from 2013 to 2019 is still being keenly felt, the college said, and while Medicare rebates for most GP appointments did rise on 1 July this year, it was only by 1.6%, far short of the most recent inflation figure of 6.1%.

He said the government was committed to investing in general practice and strengthening Medicare with almost $1bn of investment.