GPs ditching bulk billing as costs rise and Medicare rebates lag, survey shows

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners says Medicare rebates for GP consultations have not kept pace with the cost of providing care. Photograph: Dave Hunt/AAP

Doctors are increasingly scrapping bulk billing, according to a survey of almost 500 GPs, with stalling Medicare rebates and the costs of running a practice cited as key reasons.

HealthEd, a private professional education company for doctors, surveyed 477 GPs on 2 August and found more than one in five – 22% – had recently changed their billing model.