Australians going to the doctors are about to be hit with a third price increase in this year alone, but why?
And how will it affect you?
Find out if Medicare will cover the increase below…
WATCH NOW: Annual doctor’s appointments everyone should make. Article continues after video.
How much does a GP cost in Australia?
Standard doctor appointments in Australia will rise to $102 in November, as recommended by the Australian Medical Association to help match the rising cost of running a practice.
This is after the price rose in March to $90 and $98 in July, making this the first time doctor’s appointments have cost more than $100 in Australia.
The good news is that the Medicare rebate is going to increase… however only by 20 cents.
It’s important to note that this GP price increase will only impact non-bulk billed doctor appointments.
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What is the difference between bulk billing vs. non bulk billing?
When you ring up a new doctor and they say they don’t cover bulk billing, it’s hard to know what it means in the moment.
All you need to know is that bulk billing is entirely covered by Medicare, whereas non bulk billing is not. Translated to non-doctor speak, bulk billing is technically free since Medicare pays the doctor for you.
In comparison, you would pay the whole $102 doctors fee on the spot for a non bulk billing doctor and get rebated later by Medicare. In the end, all you actually pay for is the gap fee.
What is a GP gap fee?
An out-of-pocket cost or gap payment is the cost left over after Medicare rebates you for a non bulk billed doctor appointment. For example, since a GP appointment will cost $102, Medicare will rebate a portion of that cost once you’ve made a claim, and you only have to pay the gap fee.
How do I claim my Medicare GP fees?
To claim a non bulk billed doctors appointment all you need to do is sign in to My Gov, select Medicare, click make a claim, fill in patient details, confirm patient and payment details, add provider plus item number (on the document,) and submit!
How long does Medicare rebate take?
Your Medicare rebate will be sent to your bank within 7 days of your non bulk billing doctors appointment submission.
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