Despite NSW having the highest bulk billing rates in the country, out-of-pocket expenses for patients continue to rise. Photo: robynmac.
The 2025 Cleanbill Blue Report has revealed that NSW GPs are more likely to offer bulk billing for patients than anywhere else in the country, despite a year-on-year drop.
The reports show that 34.5 per cent of NSW clinics will bulk bill a new adult patient without concessions who attends a standard consultation, which is nearly 14 per cent higher than the national average.
Despite being 15 per cent higher than the next-best state’s bulk billing rate, NSW has still been subject to a nearly three per cent drop from 2024 and a 14.5 per cent drop from 2023.
Member for Riverina Michael McCormack has highlighted the significant drop in bulk billing rates and the rise in out-of-pocket expenses.
“According to Cleanbill, NSW’s bulk billing rate has dropped to 34.5 per cent in 2025. In 2024 it was 37.2 per cent, whilst in 2023 it was 49 per cent,” Mr McCormack said.
“Meanwhile, average out-of-pocket costs have increased from $41.06 in 2022 to $42.24 in 2023 and $44.05 in 2025.
“This drastic drop in the bulk billing rate since 2023 is having direct and tangible effects on ordinary Australians.”
Mr McCormack highlighted the number of patients avoiding their GPs due to expenses and the potential harm it could cause.
“More and more people are choosing to avoid having regular checkups with their GP,” he said.
“But this decline in visits will have a significant damaging impact on our nation’s health in the long term.
“As we all know, prevention is better than cure.
“When people aren’t having their regular checkups, they often lose the opportunity for prevention and early intervention for serious conditions.”
Mr McCormack said the result was not only a bad outcome for patients, but it cost the national health system more in the long run as greater intervention and care was often required.
“The Nationals are always advocating for better regional health services and access to GPs and will deliver such if elected to government.
“I have consistently spoken in parliament against Labor’s changes to the distribution priority areas, which have, in effect, put regional and rural communities in the same basket as the outer suburbs of major cities when it comes to prioritising doctors.
“The end result? GPs in regional areas started leaving for big cities and it has become far more difficult for regional communities to attract doctors.
“Regional Australians deserve better.”
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