Wollongong residents have been struggling to find general practitioners that offer bulk billing to all patients.
Data drawn from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare have indicated a sharp decline since 2022 in the rate of GP visits that are bulk billed.
In January of 2025, Wollongong recorded its lowest percentage in the past decade, with only 83 per cent of visits being covered by the Medicare Benefits Schedule, in comparison to the 92 per cent across New South Wales.
This decline in coverage means residents in Wollongong who do have valid Medicare cards are faced with the challenge of access, where even if a clinic does claim to offer bulk billing, it is typically only existing patients or individuals who meet specific criteria.
Of the 38 GP clinics within a 10km radius of the University of Wollongong, only two offer bulk billing to all patients.
Medical practitioners have accredited this decrease to the rise of the clinics cost of operation and general cost of living.
Director of mixed billing clinic Wollongong Campus Medical Centre Suzi Albert said although the doctors wish they could afford to bulk bill every patient, it isn’t feasible to do so anymore.
“It’s important to make healthcare affordable to patients that are in that low socioeconomic class, but the main issue that we’re having at the moment is our operational costs,” Ms Albert said.
“We have those extra expenses of wages and medical supplies that factor in so we have to have mixed payments just to maintain our services and keep them sustainable.”
Recently re-elected Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has promised his government will work to strengthen Medicare over his next term in Parliament with an $8.5 billion boost to expand bulk billing incentives and an aim to have 9 out of 10 GP visits bulk billed by 2030.
“We will be a government that helps every Australian who relies on Medicare, because this card is not Labor red or Liberal blue, it is green and gold,” Albanese said in his election victory speech.
However, experts remain skeptical.
“It’s quite a good incentive and we are definitely considering what they’re offering but a medical practice is like any business, so if they’re not able to keep up with the CPI, it’s going to be an issue long term,” Ms Albert said.
The new incentive payment for practices will come into effect from the first of November, until then Wollongong residents remain amidst challenge.
