GPs conducted five million fewer bulk-billed standard consultations in 2021/22 compared with the previous financial year as the specialty reacted to the chronic inadequacies of current Medicare rebates.

The average standard consultation gap fee also rose by $1.53 to $38.70 over the same 12-month period, while the average gap for a level C consultation exceeded $50 for the first time.  

The fall in bulk-billing comes amid Minister for Health Mark Butler’s promised Medicare overhaul, with the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce scheduled to report back within weeks with its recommendations on how to spend $750 million to shore up primary care — potentially on a GP patient enrolment scheme.  

Mr Butler has repeatedly accused his predecessor, Greg Hunt, of being “dishonest” with bulk-billing statistics and promised to find new measures to provide a “more accurate” picture of GPs’ decisions to bulk-bill — or not.