Another notable aspect of the data is the heterogeneity of the level of bulk billing across Australia.

Another notable aspect of the data is the heterogeneity of the level of bulk billing across Australia.

Electorates in the same AEC category, with similar socioeconomic status, had hugely different proportions of people who received all bulk-billed GP services.

While some of this may be due to doctor supply (I was unable to access workforce data at an electorate level), much of it will be down to doctors’ culture and practices. To some extent these will be driven by whether a general practice is owned by a corporate entity or a group of doctors. Again, as far as I am aware there is no publicly available data on the location of corporate as distinct from doctor-owned practices.

While the architecture of Medicare generally requires a one-size-fits-all response to policy problems, the diverse levels of bulk billing in different areas suggest that diverse solutions may be required to restore affordable access to GP services. In areas of chronic workforce shortage, improving access to bulk billing will be a necessary but insufficient step to improving access to adequate care.