Although we appreciate that life can bring about financial pressures, the doctors are not able to bulk bill every patient.

Casey Medical Centre doctors have bulk billed as many patients as possible, for as many years as we could.  We have tried to be sensitive to the need for patients to receive quality care and access to a doctor and have always tried to make this as affordable as possible for the last 40 years.

Unfortunately, the Medicare rebate for bulk billing does not meet the cost of running a practice and the escalating costs of providing quality care – covering the doctor’s time and where relevant the nurse’s time, in the dedicated treatment room.

The rebate currently is well under 50% of what the Australian Medical Association recommends as an appropriate fee for General Practice consultations and as numerous media reports have reported, bulk billing has unfortunately been shown not to be financially viable for medical practices to remain open, and some are even having to close the doors of their clinics.

To put it simply, the Medicare rebate has not kept pace with the significant escalation in the costs of running a medical practice.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has consistently highlighted that Medicare rebates for general practice have not kept pace with inflation or the real cost of delivering care, particularly following years of indexation freezes.

Key trends since 2012

• Between 2012 and 2026, Medicare rebates for GP services have risen at an average rate below inflation, resulting in a long-term decline in real rebate value.
• The 2014–2018 indexation freeze significantly reduced the real value of GP rebates, and this gap has not been fully restored through subsequent indexation.
• Since indexation resumed, annual increases have generally been modest and often below combined cost pressures in general practice, including wages, rent, insurance, and staffing.

Inflation and rebate pressure

• Inflation has fluctuated significantly in recent years, including a period of high inflation in 2022–2023.
• Medicare rebates have continued to rise only via annual indexation, meaning they have frequently lagged behind practice cost growth.

Patient gap payments

• In many settings, average patient out-of-pocket costs now exceed the Medicare rebate for standard GP consultations.
• As a result, mixed billing has become increasingly common, particularly in metropolitan practices.

Impact on general practice

These funding pressures have contributed to:

• Reduced feasibility of universal bulk billing
• Greater reliance on mixed billing models
• Increased after-hours and weekend fees in many practices
• Ongoing workforce and sustainability pressures in general practice

A full list of the fees will be on the website or at reception if you would like further information about this.

We appreciate your understanding regarding this challenging decision