‘A great big lie’: researcher disputes government claim that 90% of GP visits are bulk-billed

The Coalition has repeatedly boasted about bulk-billing rates ahead of the election but Dr Margaret Faux says the statistics ‘are essentially rubbish’. Photograph: Joel Carrett/AAP

The Australian government says almost nine out of 10 visits to GP clinics are bulk-billed, but a health insurance researcher says gap fees often aren’t recorded, meaning the official data is “a great big lie”.

Andrew James*, his wife, and their two children were bulk-billed for 15-minute appointments at their Sydney GP clinic for three years with their Medicare records showing they paid “$0”.