By Andrew Brown in Canberra

A fall in the number of GPs bulk billing highlights the need for the federal government to make healthcare more affordable, a peak doctors’ group says.

A report by healthcare monitors Cleanbill revealed the national average for out-of-pocket costs to see a GP is now $41.69, up by more than three per cent on 2023.

The data showed there was an 11 per cent drop on the number of clinics offering bulk billing in Australia compared to the previous year.

Less than one per cent of clinics surveyed in the data offered bulk billing in Tasmania, while the figure was 3.4 per cent in the ACT.

NSW had the highest rate in the nation, but just 37.2 per cent of clinics offered it.

President of the Royal Australian College of GPs Nicole Higgins said the figures were a sign more needed to be done to improve the cost of seeing a doctor.

“While the government’s tripling of bulk-billing incentives has helped more GPs bulk bill specific groups, including children, pensioners and healthcare card holders, more needs to be done to ensure care is affordable for the rest of the population,” Dr Higgins said.

“This situation is a direct result of the 10-year freeze on patient Medicare rebates.”

The Cleanbill Report, which examined almost 7000 GP clinics, revealed Tasmanian patients had the highest average out-of-pocket costs, with $51.19 for a visit.

The ACT was the next most expensive, followed by NSW, Queensland and Victoria.

SA was the only state with an average below $40 with a cost of $38.68.

Dr Higgins said it was critical for everyone to be able to afford GP care.

“It’s also our most cost-effective health service, with a 20-minute GP consult costing around $40, whereas a visit to hospital costs over $600 and much more if a patient is admitted,” she said.

“While there’s no quick fix, we do need to keep up the momentum to secure the financial sustainability of general practice, enable bulk billing for those who need it, and ensure GP care is affordable for everyone.”