When Healthed asked GPs to sum up the Government’s bulk billing policy announcements in a handful of words, ‘pre-election gimmick,’ ‘political publicity stunt,’ ‘vote grabbing,’ ‘electioneering’ and variations thereof topped the list, named by about 25% of nearly 1000 respondents.

“The government is playing for votes, they know this is not the way to improve primary care nor help cost of living pressures,” one GP wrote.

Where does this leave the ‘bulk’ of practices that mixed bill or privately bill?

Healthed’s survey this week suggests 70% of GPs with mixed or private billing (n=1438) anticipate at least some increase in tension between patients and clinic staff/GPs.

• 27% said the policy is significantly likely to create tension
• 43% said it is slightly likely to create tension
• 30% said it is not at all likely to create tension.

“There are already comments about it. It was a struggle to move away from BB and there was a LOT of push back from patients 2-3 years ago when we really started to reduce BB. Prior to these announcements, most of the push back had stopped and we could focus on the medicine in a consult, not defending our billing. I’m worried this will become more of a problem again,” one GP in the survey explained.

“Most patients think their rebate is being increased,” another GP commented.

More than half of GPs (51%) said that they are not at all likely to switch to universal bulk billing when the policy takes affect – and 30% said they were only slightly likely, while 14% said they were very likely to make the switch.

GP, researcher and past president of the RACGP Professor Karen Price said for many moving to mixed billing would mean a 30% pay cut.

“It may suit some areas, and that’s maybe what it was designed for, but what doctors universally have taken umbrage at is the concept that the politicians put out there that it was free, and that was really quite disappointing because it was dishonest,” Professor Price says.

“They hadn’t brought their major stakeholders, the GPs, along with them on that ride. That was just a political stunt, and it’s not appreciated by people who are hardworking on the front lines, having to manage patients and all the challenges of patients who don’t fully understand how the system works.”

“It’s challenging for people to understand when the government signals something like that purely, and cynically from my point of view, for a few cheap votes.” – Professor Karen Price

Which isn’t to say the comments were all negative.

About one in five GPs were cautiously optimistic, calling the Government’s bulk billing initiatives “a step in the right direction” and “a good start,” while others were even more enthusiastic, calling it “encouraging for survival of general practice,” and “a win-win for the practice and patients.”

Health economist and University of Melbourne Professor Stephen Duckett told Healthed he believes the Government’s two big policy announcements – to add 50 new urgent care clinics by mid-2026, and extend the tripled bulk billing incentive to everyone – are a good start.

“They’re both very big announcements. They are really, really important in addressing financial barriers to access care, both in terms of the tripling of the bulk billing incentive and in terms of the urgent care centres. However, they won’t fix all the problems of primary care,” Professor Duckett says.

“They’re really, really good initiatives. But there’s been such a long period of neglect of primary care policy that it’s going to take a long time to fix primary care policy.”

GPs who support the policy said it would be good for patients in rural areas and those who are disadvantaged, as well as doctors who already work in bulk billing clinics.

What your colleagues are saying – GPs sum up the bulk billing incentive

“Better than nothing, but not fundamentally fixing the underlying problems with Medicare and general practice funding.”

“It is overdue and not enough.”

“Good start but increase the rebate!”

“Good for me, not affecting my patients.”

“Clear political marketing, collecting points on the back of the GPs.”

“Another change which sounds good to voters but not to the implementers.”

“I consider the funding of Medicare over the 15 years to be opportunistic and politically driven rather than based on funding appropriate healthcare for patients from both major parties.”

“Rushed. Ill thought out.”

“Shuffling deckchairs on the Titanic once again.”

“Short-sighted.”

“The Government does not seem to realise that if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.”