CANBERRA, OCTOBER 26/INDIAN ABROAD NEWSDESK
A growing number of Australians are receiving GP care without out-of-pocket consultation fees, with a survey by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), reported by The Guardian on October 26, finding that 63 per cent of Australians were bulk-billed for all their GP care, compared with 56 per cent in both 2024 and 2025.
According to The Guardian, the RACGP survey covered 2,766 general practitioners and found that 26 per cent of responding doctors’ bulk-billed all their patients in 2026, up from 12 per cent in 2025. The report linked the improvement to federal financial incentives for practices that bulk-bill all eligible Medicare services.
RACGP president Dr Michael Wright told The Guardian that the findings suggested greater affordability across the healthcare system, while health economist Dr Luke Slawomirski cautioned that affordability figures alone could not establish whether patients were receiving better care.
The RACGP findings reported by The Guardian also indicate that access and quality remain important considerations, so patients should check individual clinics’ billing arrangements and appointment availability.
