Australians are being charged more for a trip to the doctor, despite a tripling of bulk-billing incentive payments.
An annual survey of more than 3000 GPs and GPs in training by the Royal Australian College of GPs shows the average fee for a 20-minute consultation rose from $74.66 in 2023 to $78.26 in 2024.
The 2024 Health of the Nation report, released on Tuesday, also reveals the number of GPs charging more than $85 for a consultation lifted marginally from 41 per cent to 43 per cent.
More alarmingly, the number of GPs slugging patients more than $90 on average for a consultation spiked from 23 per cent to 37 per cent.
On average, patients were $45 out of pocket after seeing a GP.
In November incentives for doctors to bulk bill were tripled for children, pensioners and healthcare card holders.
But the proportion of GPs fully bulk billing their patients remains low (13 per cent) compared to 2022 (24 per cent) as "GPs face significant challenges with the rising cost of providing care and financial viability concerns".
RACGP President Nicole Higgins said Medicare rebates had not kept up with inflation, causing out-of-pocket costs to increase.
"The tripling of bulk-billing incentives for healthcare card holders, pensioners and children has helped GPs bulk bill more patients, but too many Australians are missing out," she said.
"We need meaningful investment in patients' rebates to make essential healthcare affordable for all Australians."
Almost a third (32 per cent) of GPs plan to stop practising within the next five years, with most citing personal circumstances as one of the reasons.
Regulatory and compliance burden (60 per cent), continuous professional development requirements (47 per cent), burnout (43 per cent) and high workload (36 per cent) were among the other factors.
Six out of 10 (61 per cent) GPs surveyed were considering cutting their hours and 23 per cent intended to work less in the next 12 months.
"The largest factors influencing this decision appear to be the need to attend to family commitments and responsibilities (48 per cent), and the desire to work in another health or medical field (27 per cent)," the report said.
However, GP job satisfaction was on the up - rising from 66 per cent to 73 per cent - and more recommended general practice as a career.
The college is calling for a 20 per cent rise to all Medicare rebates for 20-minute and longer consults, with additional increases for rural and remote communities.
It also wants funding for an extra 500 training places, more incentives and work entitlements and a 50 per cent target for university medical graduates to pick GP training.
