Bulk-billing rate drops to 72% for face-to-face level B consults
However, total claims for item 23 continued to rise year-on-year.
The bulk-billing rate for the standard face-to-face GP consult has fallen from 80% to 72% in a year, show data from the Department of Health and Aged Care.
It means GPs bulk-billed a million fewer item 23 consults in 2022/23 compared with 2021/22.
This was despite the overall number of claims for the item rising to 78 million for the last financial year.
Bulk-billing rates for items 3, 36 and 44 — the face-to-face level A, C and D consult items — also fell (see graph).
