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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Nick Evershed and Natasha May

Australia lost hundreds of fully subsidised GP clinics in the past year – how does your area rank?

Composite image featuring (L-R) The Australian Health Minister, Mark Butler, atop a stock photo of a Medicare card
Analysis of the Healthdirect doctor database found 455 GP clinics switched from fully bulk billing to a mix of bulk billing and out-of-pocket fees in the year to February. Composite: AAP

Australia has lost more than 400 dedicated bulk-billing GP clinics in the past year, with some electorates experiencing an almost 30% decline, according to an analysis of a government health services register.

Guardian Australia analysed clinics listed as “bulk billing only” on the Healthdirect service finder GP database between 2023 and 2024.

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