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Queenslanders are paying nearly $50 in out-of-pocket costs to visit a doctor, despite the number of bulk-billing services nearly doubling across the state in the past year, a report shows.
The data, released on Monday by healthcare directory Cleanbill, puts the average out-of-pocket cost to visit a GP in Queensland at $48.58 – $5.25 higher than in 2025.
Federal government incentives have influenced a rise in bulk billing services across Australia, but many patients are still paying high out-of-pocket costs to see a GP. Credit: Joe Armao
This is despite the number of bulk-billing clinics nearly doubling, with more than 400 of the state’s 1361 practices offering bulk-billing services.
The release of Cleanbill’s report followed the federal government’s expansion of the Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program (BBPIP) in November, which increased incentives for GP clinics to fully bulk bill.
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According to the report’s analysis of GP clinics operating from the start of November to mid-December, the trend towards declining bulk-billing practices has been reversed, with the percentage of fully bulk-billing clinics increasing to more than 40 per cent nationally.
But rising healthcare costs remain a concern for most Australians.
In some states, the average cost of a standard GP appointment now costs more than $100, with out-of -pockets expenses totalling about $60 for patients in the ACT and Tasmania.
The Royal College of General Practitioners 2025 Health of the Nation report found the proportion of patients always being bulk billed remained low, with more people delaying GP care to cost.
While the Albanese government introduced a 12.5 per cent loading payment on Medicare rebates for clinics that fully bulk billed, RACGP has called for a 40 per cent increase in Medicare funding for consults that last more than 20 minutes.
“Medicare data shows that most GP visits continue to be delivered without cost,” RACGP president Dr Michael Wright said.
“However, [our] Health of the Nation report highlights that consultation complexity and average length are both rising. At the same time, Medicare rebates have not kept pace with the cost of care for many practices.
“So it is not surprising to see that out-of-pocket costs are increasing where new incentives do not cover the cost of providing care.
“We need to make sure that all Australians have affordable access to GP services, particularly those people with complex health conditions who need more time with their GP.”
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