Have you noticed a drop in quick visits for things like medical certificates or simple scripts? Many general practices in Australia charge private fees on top of the Medicare rebate. In comparison, telehealth services often cost less—some even bulk bill patients, sometimes in ways that may not follow the rules.
Medicare sets clear guidelines for bulk billing via telehealth. Usually, the patient must have a 12-month relationship with the clinic. There are some exceptions, such as if the patient is in a disaster zone or needs mental health care. Most telehealth clinics offer lower fees. But a few are bulk-billing people who don’t meet the criteria. This could lead to Medicare fraud and give those services an unfair advantage.
New bulk-billing incentives are coming in November. I estimate that about one-third of private-billing clinics will transition to bulk billing. If that happens, many patients might return to their regular GPs. The landscape is likely to shift again soon.
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