Patterns in GP bulk billing rates across states and territories
There were some variations in the monthly and annual GP bulk billing rates between individual states and territories (Figure 2):
- New South Wales had the highest annual GP bulk billing rate in Australia, excluding the 3 years between 2017 and 2019 (when the Northern Territory had the highest rate).
- Australian Capital Territory had the lowest annual GP bulk billing rate in Australia from early 2000.
- Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory had similar annual GP bulk billing rates between 2020 and October 2024.
- In 2023, the annual GP bulk billing rate for New South Wales was 82%, compared with the lowest rates of 69% in Tasmania and 53% in the Australian Capital Territory.
Compared with November 2021–October 2022, all states and territories had a decrease in GP bulk billing rates between 6–12 percentage points during November 2022–October 2023 (Table 2). Between November 2023–October 2024, the change in bulk billing rate ranged from a decrease of 2.1 percentage points to an increase of 3.5 percentage points. The largest increases in GP bulk billing rates in November 2023–October 2024 (compared with November 2022–October 2023) were seen in:
- Tasmania (GP bulk billing rates increased from 68% to 72%), and
- Northern Territory (GP bulk billing rates increased from 72% to 75%).
State | November 2021 to October 2022 | November 2022 to October 2023 | November 2023 to October 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
NSW | 88.8% | 82.4% | 82.2% |
VIC | 86.3% | 78.9% | 78.5% |
QLD | 85.0% | 76.1% | 75.8% |
WA | 83.5% | 72.6% | 70.5% |
SA | 84.5% | 73.5% | 74.6% |
TAS | 75.8% | 68.4% | 71.9% |
ACT | 65.5% | 53.3% | 53.2% |
NT | 83.3% | 72.0% | 74.7% |
National | 86.0% | 78.0% | 77.7% |
* These are rolling 12-month bulk billing rates. This is calculated by dividing the number of bulk billed GP attendances over a 12-month period by the number of GP attendances over the same period x 100.
Source: AIHW analysis of MBS data maintained by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.
Patterns in GP bulk billing rates by age group across states and territories
The monthly and annual GP bulk billing rates in the age groups of 0–15, 16–64 and 65+ years (Figure 2) within states and territories showed variation.
The average bulk billing rate for 0–15 and 65+ years increased in all states and territories during the first 10 months of 2024 compared to the average bulk billing rate for the calendar year 2023. In contrast, the bulk billing rate for 16–64 years continued to decline in many jurisdictions.
The largest increases in the GP bulk billing rate in the 0–15 age group during the first 10 months of 2024 were seen in:
- Northern Territory where the GP bulk billing rate increased from 90% in 2023 to an average of 96% (increase of 6 percentage points)
- Tasmania where the GP bulk billing rate increased from 81% in 2023 to an average of 86% (increase of 5 percentage points).
The largest increase in the GP bulk billing rate in the 65+ age group during the first 10 months of 2024 was in South Australia, where the GP bulk billing rate increased from 83% in 2023 to an average of 87% (increase of 4 percentage points).
In the 16–64 age group, the largest decrease in the GP bulk billing rate during the first 10 months of 2024 occurred in Western Australia, where it decreased from 60% in 2023 to an average of 57% (decrease of 3 percentage points).
Figure 2: GP bulk billing rates across states and territories, by age group, 2003 to October 2024
The annual GP bulk billing rate in New South Wales changed from 76% in 2003 to 82% in the first 10 months of 2024, from 65% to 79% in Victoria, from 63% to 76% in Queensland, from 64% to 71% in Western Australia, from 61% to 75% in South Australia, from 51% to 72% in Tasmania, from 37% to 53% in ACT and from 61% to 75% in Northern Territory.
