Health Minister rejects naming and shaming of GPs who don’t bulk bill

Navigating the healthcare system can be daunting, especially when it comes to understanding the costs associated with medical care.

For many Australians, bulk billing is a lifeline, ensuring that visits to the general practitioner (GP) don't become a financial burden.

However, recent discussions have highlighted a growing concern that not all GPs are willing to bulk bill, leaving some patients facing unexpected costs.


Amid rising concerns over the accessibility of bulk-billing doctors, Australians have been advised to take matters into their own hands.

Bulk billing, a practice where doctors bill Medicare directly, leaving patients with no out-of-pocket expenses, has been a hot topic in recent times.


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GPs are not at risk of being shamed for not offering bulk billing. Image: Freepik


Health Minister Mark Butler has suggested that patients should actively seek out bulk-billing GPs in their area, dismissing the idea of publicly shaming doctors who choose not to offer this service.

‘We want patients to know, if one practice in their area has changed their behaviour around bulk billing and another hasn’t, it’s entirely your right to vote with your feet,’ Butler told reporters.

‘People can ring around and ask “Are you bulk billing a consultant for my kid who’s 14? Are you bulk billing me, I’m a concession card holder?”’

‘We want an active community discussion about this.’

The government has been pushing to increase its prevalence, particularly for vulnerable patients, by tripling the incentives paid to doctors who offer this service to children under 16, pensioners, and concession card holders.

This move was expected to benefit around 11 million people.


However, despite these efforts, the number of Australians who delayed seeing a GP due to rising costs increased over the last financial year to almost 1.2 million.

A recent survey from online healthcare directory Cleanbill found that fewer than one in four clinics bulk bills patients.

This has led to patients paying an average of $41.69 in out-of-pocket costs.

In response to these concerns, Butler has encouraged patients to take an active role in their healthcare decisions.

But when he was asked what is considered an acceptable gap fee—the difference between the Medicare rebate and what is charged to a patient—he said his focus was on bulk billing.

‘That is where the vast bulk of the investment we put into general practice into last year’s budget went,’ Mr Butler said.

‘The more that we can incentivise and reward GPs for bulk billing those concession card holders, pensioners and kids, the less pressure there is to impose gap fees on the rest of their patients as well.’


While this advice may seem practical, it also places the onus on patients to navigate the complex healthcare system.

It also raises questions about the effectiveness of the government's incentive scheme and whether more needs to be done to ensure affordable healthcare for all Australians.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has been advocating for a 20 per cent increase in the Medicare rebate for long appointments and mental health consults. They also propose free yearly health checks for children under five.

‘Key measures in last year’s budget, including a tripling of the bulk-billing incentive for certain patient groups and a new Medicare item for longer consults, are a positive step forward in supporting vulnerable patients,’ President Nicole Higgins said.

‘We are also calling for funding to enable patients to see their GP after an unplanned hospital visit so they don’t end up straight back there. Keep in mind that whilst a standard GP appointment costs the taxpayer $40, a hospital visit costs $600.’

‘Cost-of-living pressures are biting hard for many households, and I understand that some patients are seeking a bulk-billing GP. The long-term solution to making health care more affordable for all Australians from all walks of life is increased investment in general practice care. That way, no patients will be left behind.’


The debate around bulk billing highlights the ongoing challenges in ensuring equitable access to healthcare in Australia.

While the government's incentives and the advice to 'shop around' for a bulk-billing doctor may help some, more needs to be done to ensure that all Australians can access affordable healthcare.

Key Takeaways
  • Australians have been encouraged to seek out bulk-billing GPs by ringing around, amid concerns about access to affordable healthcare.
  • Health Minister Mark Butler dismissed the idea of naming and shaming GPs who don't offer bulk billing for vulnerable patients, emphasising patient choice.
  • The government has significantly increased the incentives for doctors to bulk bill certain groups, potentially benefiting around 11 million people.
  • The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners is advocating for a 20 per cent increase in the Medicare rebate for longer appointments and mental health consults, as well as free yearly health checks for children under five.

What are your thoughts on this issue? Have you struggled to find a bulk-billing doctor in your area? Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments below.
 
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It is very difficult to find a bill billing doctor in my area and the ones that do bulk bill are either booked out or for walk in practices stop taking patients hours before their closing time. My daughter went to the clinic and was told 8 hours before closing that they were not taking any more patients for that day due to the high demand. People who are seeking bulk billing clinics are making it very difficult for regular patients to see their doctor. What is this world coming to? The government needs to help everybody out and make all clinics bulk billing like it used to be. How hard is that really?
 
How come you have Drs who say they can't bulk bill due to overheads, etc. but the Dr in our country town bulk bills almost everybody.
He doesn't push you out the door in a hurry either like many I have been to in the past and it's not because there are fewer people here.
He is the only Dr, not like city surgeries with half a dozen or more.
He's a very busy Dr, and doesn't seem to be going broke by bulk billing.
I think greed plays a big part in this
IMO.
 
When our GP sold his practice, with in 3 months all other 6 doctors left. I figured something was amiss so I bailed too. There were 10 other medical clinics within a 10 kms radius. Not one was taking new patients. We now travel 20 kms but we’re happy with the doctors. We pay a $30 gap even though we have a concession. Oh, and 2 years later , the other clinic has closed.
 
When our GP sold his practice, with in 3 months all other 6 doctors left. I figured something was amiss so I bailed too. There were 10 other medical clinics within a 10 kms radius. Not one was taking new patients. We now travel 20 kms but we’re happy with the doctors. We pay a $30 gap even though we have a concession. Oh, and 2 years later , the other clinic has closed.
My son and his family moved to NSW two years ago and can't find a Dr's surgery who is taking new patient's, let alone one that bulk bills.
For the first six months his wife was still able to get her scripts by phone from her Dr here in WA,but since then has had to go to a hospital.
Glad I live in WA.
 
My son and his family moved to NSW two years ago and can't find a Dr's surgery who is taking new patient's, let alone one that bulk bills.
For the first six months his wife was still able to get her scripts by phone from her Dr here in WA,but since then has had to go to a hospital.
Glad I live in WA.
It seems that in everything , every step we are supposed to take forward we go two back..
 
The cause of the sudden decrease in bulk billing is butler and his half witted boss. They created the cost of living crisis and couldn't care less. I am sure they think it is funny. I am also absolutely certain they have no clue how to fix the myriad of problems they created. The whole of liebour is out of their depth. We desperately need LNP to get back in office to get Australia prosperous again.
 
‘People can ring around and ask “Are you bulk billing a consultant for my kid who’s 14? Are you bulk billing me, I’m a concession card holder?”’, he said.

Good luck with THAT, Mr Butler! Try getting past the Gatekeepers/Doorbitches at my medical practice (20km from home, no public transport link, no bulk billing and absolutely NO local alternative available) with any of those questions.
 
The practice I go to only has one Dr .who bulkbills but the front office made a comment one day that she does this out of the kindness of her heart. This makes me feel like a charity patient I used this practice for 14yrs until I went on pension at 76yrs I have always paid with my card and got the Medicare rebate. I was really sick and not given antibiotics got Cortisone . It didn't work given puffers. Still sick tried to get appointment my Dr. Was away took four days to get one of the other Drs who because of covide scare I was seen in my car at the back car park in the dark and rain she did a quick check on the top part of my chest gave me a script to chemist which by now was closed she suggested pharm in castle hill on the way I went through red light against angry drivers I turned in to side road and phoned my daughter to fetch me. I was taken to Westmead adult emergency and put in a single room chest x-rays bloods heart monitors and drips (2different antibiotics) until 5am when a bed was available in respiratory high. Care for 5days. The practice phoned my daughter and asked her to pay. I have had to attend out patients specialist appoint. For nearly a year. I don't blame that Dr. Only a practice rule.I still feel uncomfortable going to my G.P. as a charity patient. Moving to another practice and trying to take pile of of files with me. They will give me a quick review to take with me for 50 Dollars.
 
My 58yo sister inlaw lives in wangaratta and her docters charge her $110 a visit on a health care card.She tried to swap to another docters surgery who bulk bill but was told the only new patients they were takng were those that have just moved to the area and told her to stay with her own doctor So what does a person do????
 
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It's ridiculous that those on a HCC or DSP are not bulk billed. There are reasons why people are on HCC or DSP therefore there is a limit to their finances which holds back alot of people from going to Drs on a regular basis only to build problems up so they can be heard all at one appointment only to be told, I'm sorry but you will have to make another appointment as we have gone over time & I have other patients to see. It's a no win, for patients or Drs
 
I found some GP clinics who bulk bill in my area, but the clinics were terrible and the doctors even worse. I was absolutely disgusted. I've had to go back to the clinic that doesn't bulk bill even though I can't afford it, because at least the doctor there is caring, doesn't rush me out the door and does his job properly. I can't go further afield because I don't drive, I'm mostly house-bound, until my support worker visits me, then she takes me to my appointment. The government doesn't care about us at all. That shows in the ridiculous responses from Mark Butler. It's just getting harder and harder to get by. I have severe complex health conditions. What hope have I got? None. I'm in WA.
 
The cause of the sudden decrease in bulk billing is butler and his half witted boss. They created the cost of living crisis and couldn't care less. I am sure they think it is funny. I am also absolutely certain they have no clue how to fix the myriad of problems they created. The whole of liebour is out of their depth. We desperately need LNP to get back in office to get Australia prosperous again.
I don't think it matters who's in power, none of them care. They're all the same. Sorry, just my opinion. I understand your concerns.
 
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The Practice my wife & l have been attending now for about 38 years now has approx 10 Doctors who will Bulk Bill all patients or Bulk Bill those on a Health Care Card only & charge others a fee. Fortunately we have never had to pay.

An appointment with one of the partners in the practice can usually mean waiting between 4 - 8 weeks but those l see l can make an appointment through HOTDOCS within a day.

Seeing a partner means one has to plan on being sick on a certain date & make an appointment to suit. I used to make my WORKERS COMP appts 6 weeks in advance when seeing a partner of the practice.
The Waiting Room is usually full so they must be doing something correct l guess.
 
Yes I think I am a victim of not being bulk billed by my regular GP who I am happy with but vacant understand the Clinics policy in charging. I have been a long term patient since retiring in Mandurah (20 years) am on receipt of a full aged pension and on my last visit was billed a gap of $30. Put simply I can’t afford this especially since I on average don’t visit my doctor more than once a week. When I queried this I was told individual doctors decide what to charge. This creates not a good feeling and makes me wonder why I’m suddenly billed extra. I am going to ask my doctor on the next visit but I’m not looking forward to the enquiry
 
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Yes I think I am a victim of not being bulk billed by my regular GP who I am happy with but vacant understand the Clinics policy in charging. I have been a long term patient since retiring in Mandurah (20 years) am on receipt of a full aged pension and on my last visit was billed a gap of $30. Put simply I can’t afford this especially since I on average don’t visit my doctor more than once a week. When I queried this I was told individual doctors decide what to charge. This creates not a good feeling and makes me wonder why I’m suddenly billed extra. I am going to ask my doctor on the next visit but I’m not looking forward to the enquiry
I used to live in Mandurah. There is a practice on Pinjarra Road that advertise on the outside of the building that they bulk bill. Heading towards the foreshore, past the aquatic centre, it's on the left hand side.
I went to Dynamic Doctors, opposite Bortolo Park in the small shopping centre on the corner of Mississippi Drive, there are two bulk billing Drs there.
You need to enquire at the reception about which Drs bulk bill
 
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