GP bulk-billing rate reaches its highest level in the bush
The nation's GP bulk-billing rate has almost reached 75 per cent as a result of the Australian Government’s measures to strengthen Medicare.
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26 August 2005
ABB100/05
The nation's GP bulk-billing rate has almost reached 75 per cent as a result of the Australian Government’s measures to strengthen Medicare. Two new records have also been set, with the rate of GP bulk billing in rural areas increasing to 69 per cent and 81.8 per cent of children are now bulk billed, the highest rates since Medicare began more than 20 years ago.
Australia's GP bulk-billing rate reached 74.8 per cent in the June quarter, the highest level in almost four years. The bulk-billing rate for people aged over 65 years increased to 85.5 per cent, the highest since the September quarter 1999. In rural and remote areas, the rate rose 16.2 percentage points on the December quarter 2003, to set a new record of 69 per cent.
"Three out of four people are now bulk billed when they visit their GP and more than eight out of 10 children and older Australians are now bulk billed. The huge boost in bulk billing in rural areas is particular pleasing," Tony Abbott said.
In 2004-05, Medicare subsidised 236.3 million services, worth $9.9 billion in benefits. This represented 11.6 services and a $487.62 benefit for every Australian during the year.
There have been substantial increases to GP bulk billing rates in all states and territories since the December quarter 2003 – the last full quarter prior to the introduction the Howard Government’s Strengthening Medicare package.
In 2004-05, increases were recorded in 140 out of 150 electorates, with almost 50 per cent recording increases between five and 20 per cent.
Compared with the December 2003 quarter, the June quarter rate in NSW was up 5.3 percentage points to 81 per cent; up 13.1 points in South Australia to 73.7 per cent; up 10.7 points in Queensland to 72.4 per cent; up 8.5 points in Victoria to 72.1 per cent; up 7.8 points in Western Australia to 70.3 per cent; up 19.5 points in Tasmania to 67.9 per cent; up 1.4 points in the Northern Territory to 61.6 per cent; and up 7.2 points in the ACT to 42.1 per cent.
"The most significant increases have occurred where the government has targeted incentives. For instance the bulk billing rates in rural and regional areas have increased substantially, as well as the rate of bulk billing for those who need it most, children and older Australians," Tony Abbott said.
These statistics show the impact of the government’s bulk-billing incentive payments, under which GPs who bulk bill Commonwealth Concession Card holders and children under 16 receive an extra $5.10 or $7.65 (depending on their location).
All bulk-billing data is available at http://www.health.gov.au/internet/wcms/publishing.nsf/Content/medicare+statistics-1
OR
www.hic.gov.au
Electorate data for the 2003-04 and 2004-05 financial years are attached (please note that this table compares financial years, not changes between quarters as highlighted in this media release).
For more information call Mr Abbott's office on ph 02 6277 7220.
Medicare: Non-Preferred (GP) Attendances (excluding Practice Nurse Items)
Percentage of services bulk billed by Electorate (a)
Based on patient enrolement postcode (b)
12 months ending June 2003-04 & 2004-05(c)
State | Electorate | 12 months ending June (c) | Change in | |
 | | 2003-04 (%) | 2004-05 (%) | Percentage Pts |
New South Wales | Banks | 83.7 | 84.7 | 1.0 |
| Barton | 90.2 | 89.9 | -0.3 |
| Bennelong | 79.0 | 78.7 | -0.3 |
| Berowra | 69.9 | 70.3 | 1.0 |
| Blaxland | 95.7 | 96.4 | 0.7 |
| Bradfield | 59.8 | 61.8 | 2.0 |
| Calare | 60.5 | 69.1 | 8.6 |
| Charlton | 55.2 | 62.6 | 7.4 |
| Chifley | 98.3 | 98.3 | 0.0 |
| Cook | 74.9 | 78.3 | 3.4 |
| Cowper | 55.3 | 65.2 | 9.9 |
| Cunningham | 81.4 | 82.6 | 1.2 |
| Dobell | 60.2 | 68.5 | 8.3 |
| Eden-Monaro | 39.6 | 47.2 | 7.6 |
| Farrer | 43.3 | 55.9 | 12.6 |
| Fowler | 97.2 | 97.2 | 0.0 |
| Gilmore | 60.7 | 65.8 | 5.1 |
| Grayndler | 90.2 | 89.9 | -0.3 |
| Greenway | 95.0 | 95.6 | 0.6 |
| Gwydir | 65.9 | 73.7 | 7.8 |
| Hughes | 74.5 | 76.7 | 2.2 |
| Hume | 60.9 | 67.2 | 6.3 |
| Hunter | 51.6 | 59.1 | 7.5 |
| Kingsford Smith | 87.4 | 88.1 | 0.7 |
| Lindsay | 87.6 | 89.5 | 1.9 |
| Lowe | 90.4 | 90.8 | 0.4 |
| Lyne | 60.4 | 72.7 | 12.3 |
| Macarthur | 89.6 | 90.5 | 0.9 |
| Mackellar | 70.8 | 72.6 | 1.8 |
| Macquarie | 72.2 | 76.8 | 4.6 |
| Mitchell | 80.6 | 81.9 | 1.3 |
| New England | 49.8 | 58.2 | 8.4 |
| Newcastle | 61.8 | 66.9 | 5.1 |
| North Sydney | 59.2 | 61.5 | 2.3 |
| Page | 49.8 | 58.5 | 8.7 |
| Parkes | 67.6 | 71.9 | 4.3 |
| Parramatta | 90.6 | 91.4 | 0.8 |
| Paterson | 55.4 | 63.8 | 8.4 |
| Prospect | 96.5 | 96.4 | -0.1 |
| Reid | 96.9 | 97.0 | 0.1 |
| Richmond | 64.4 | 73.8 | 9.4 |
| Riverina | 47.6 | 55.5 | 7.9 |
| Robertson | 64.0 | 73.8 | 9.8 |
| Shortland | 52.7 | 63.5 | 10.8 |
| Sydney | 82.4 | 82.2 | -0.2 |
| Throsby | 94.2 | 94.7 | 0.5 |
| Warringah | 68.4 | 69.0 | 0.6 |
| Watson | 94.9 | 95.0 | 0.1 |
| Wentworth | 70.3 | 70.7 | 0.4 |
| Werriwa | 95.1 | 95.4 | 0.3 |
NSW | Total | 76.5 | 79.7 | 3.2 |
Victoria | Aston | 71.2 | 74.1 | 2.9 |
| Ballarat | 48.0 | 62.8 | 14.8 |
| Batman | 83.2 | 85.1 | 1.9 |
| Bendigo | 49.5 | 58.5 | 9.0 |
| Bruce | 76.6 | 80.0 | 3.4 |
| Calwell | 83.2 | 86.5 | 3.3 |
| Casey | 57.0 | 62.2 | 5.2 |
| Chisholm | 71.7 | 72.7 | 1.0 |
| Corangamite | 43.9 | 51.8 | 7.9 |
| Corio | 59.7 | 65.4 | 5.7 |
| Deakin | 64.8 | 68.3 | 3.5 |
| Dunkley | 49.0 | 56.8 | 7.8 |
| Flinders | 44.3 | 53.3 | 9.0 |
| Gellibrand | 81.5 | 81.4 | -0.1 |
| Gippsland | 64.6 | 76.3 | 11.7 |
| Goldstein | 54.0 | 55.8 | 1.8 |
| Gorton | 81.5 | 82.1 | 0.6 |
| Higgins | 59.1 | 59.0 | -0.1 |
| Holt | 70.2 | 75.4 | 5.2 |
| Hotham | 75.6 | 76.6 | 1.0 |
| Indi | 33.8 | 49.8 | 16.0 |
| Isaacs | 70.0 | 72.6 | 2.6 |
| Jagajaga | 66.6 | 68.5 | 1.9 |
| Kooyong | 56.8 | 57.9 | 1.1 |
| La Trobe | 63.1 | 68.1 | 5.0 |
| Lalor | 67.5 | 75.6 | 8.1 |
| Mallee | 55.0 | 68.1 | 13.1 |
| Maribyrnong | 78.3 | 80.3 | 2.0 |
| McEwen | 57.0 | 64.7 | 7.7 |
| McMillan | 58.2 | 74.7 | 16.5 |
| Melbourne | 78.5 | 77.8 | -0.7 |
| Melbourne Ports | 69.2 | 68.4 | -0.8 |
| Menzies | 68.4 | 70.7 | 2.3 |
| Murray | 32.5 | 46.8 | 14.3 |
| Scullin | 84.8 | 86.9 | 2.1 |
| Wannon | 42.7 | 57.6 | 14.9 |
| Wills | 80.4 | 83.2 | 2.8 |
VIC | Total | 65.4 | 70.4 | 5.0 |
Queensland | Blair | 72.4 | 79.6 | 7.2 |
| Bonner | 63.4 | 66.9 | 3.5 |
| Bowman | 62.6 | 66.8 | 4.2 |
| Brisbane | 54.0 | 57.5 | 3.5 |
| Capricornia | 52.0 | 64.3 | 12.3 |
| Dawson | 64.7 | 68.9 | 4.2 |
| Dickson | 48.6 | 56.8 | 8.2 |
| Fadden | 67.2 | 70.0 | 2.8 |
| Fairfax | 64.6 | 76.4 | 11.8 |
| Fisher | 63.2 | 76.0 | 12.8 |
| Forde | 78.6 | 83.5 | 4.9 |
| Griffith | 63.8 | 65.9 | 2.1 |
| Groom | 52.5 | 63.4 | 10.9 |
| Herbert | 63.5 | 65.9 | 2.4 |
| Hinkler | 52.6 | 66.8 | 14.2 |
| Kennedy | 61.6 | 70.1 | 8.5 |
| Leichhardt | 76.1 | 78.7 | 2.6 |
| Lilley | 59.8 | 62.8 | 3.0 |
| Longman | 72.4 | 77.3 | 4.9 |
| Maranoa | 56.9 | 66.0 | 9.1 |
| McPherson | 68.1 | 68.9 | 0.8 |
| Moncrieff | 68.2 | 69.9 | 1.7 |
| Moreton | 67.7 | 72.6 | 4.9 |
| Oxley | 73.7 | 78.8 | 5.1 |
| Petrie | 57.0 | 61.9 | 4.9 |
| Rankin | 84.5 | 87.1 | 2.6 |
| Ryan | 48.5 | 54.3 | 5.8 |
| Wide Bay | 59.0 | 72.2 | 13.2 |
QLD | Total | 64.2 | 70.3 | 6.1 |
South Australia | Adelaide | 60.5 | 66.5 | 6.0 |
| Barker | 42.2 | 58.1 | 15.9 |
| Boothby | 56.8 | 68.2 | 11.4 |
| Grey | 70.1 | 79.7 | 9.6 |
| Hindmarsh | 64.9 | 73.0 | 8.1 |
| Kingston | 59.2 | 73.1 | 13.9 |
| Makin | 63.0 | 69.3 | 6.3 |
| Mayo | 46.0 | 56.4 | 10.4 |
| Port Adelaide | 83.4 | 86.3 | 2.9 |
| Sturt | 55.1 | 62.1 | 7.0 |
| Wakefield | 78.2 | 81.8 | 3.6 |
SA | Total | 62.9 | 71.3 | 8.4 |
Western Australia | Brand | 60.7 | 71.9 | 11.2 |
| Canning | 58.5 | 67.7 | 9.2 |
| Cowan | 72.6 | 74.5 | 1.9 |
| Curtin | 55.9 | 58.2 | 2.3 |
| Forrest | 56.6 | 65.4 | 8.8 |
| Fremantle | 63.2 | 68.3 | 5.1 |
| Hasluck | 69.0 | 71.1 | 2.1 |
| Kalgoorlie | 62.1 | 66.9 | 4.8 |
| Moore | 62.6 | 65.0 | 2.4 |
| O'Connor | 53.1 | 62.6 | 9.5 |
| Pearce | 70.7 | 76.2 | 5.5 |
| Perth | 71.0 | 73.1 | 2.1 |
| Stirling | 72.5 | 74.2 | 1.7 |
| Swan | 71.9 | 73.2 | 1.3 |
| Tangney | 60.3 | 63.5 | 3.2 |
WA | Total | 64.4 | 69.0 | 4.6 |
Tasmania | Bass | 45.1 | 55.5 | 10.4 |
| Braddon | 51.7 | 71.5 | 19.8 |
| Denison | 47.8 | 62.6 | 14.8 |
| Franklin | 51.9 | 63.1 | 11.2 |
| Lyons | 65.8 | 75.3 | 9.5 |
TAS | Total | 52.3 | 65.5 | 13.2 |
Northern Territory | Lingiari | 72.4 | 74.1 | 1.7 |
| Solomon | 57.1 | 56.3 | -0.8 |
NT | Total | 61.1 | 61.5 | 0.4 |
Australian Capital Territory | Canberra | 38.8 | 41.6 | 2.8 |
| Fraser | 34.7 | 38.4 | 3.7 |
ACT | Total | 36.5 | 39.8 | 3.3 |
| | | | |
| AUSTRALIA | | 68.2 | 73.2 | 5.0 |
(a) These statistics were compiled using 2004 electoral boundaries.
(b) These statistics relate to non-referred (general practitioner) attendances that were rendered on a fee-for-service basis for which benefits were processed by the Health Insurance Commission in the 12 months to June 2003-04 and 2004-05. Excluded are details of non-referred (GP) attendances to public patients in hospital, to Department of Veterans' Affairs patients and some compensation cases.
(c) Year of processing.
These statistics were compiled from Medicare data by patient enrolment (mailing address postcode). Where a postcode overlapped electoral boundaries, the statistics were allocated to electorate using a concordance file derived from Population Census data. This can result in some data being erroneously allocated to an adjoining electorate. Data for people using post office boxes or private mail bags are excluded from electorate reporting as this cannot be appropriately allocated. Data have also been excluded if postcodes were not present on the concordance file.
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