The electorate of Blair, encompassing much of Ipswich, has witnessed a staggering decline in GP medical clinics offering bulk billing during the course of 2023.
Research revealed by locally based Senator Paul Scarr shows that the number of GP medical clinics offering bulk billing has fallen from 25 to 16 during 2023. This represents a fall of 36%. This is based on data collected by Cleanbill, which is a health directory providing the cost of healthcare across the country.
Locally based Senator Paul Scarr said “Before the election, Labor promised to strengthen Medicare, but the data shows that they’ve done the opposite, it is now weaker,” he said.
“In Ipswich, there are less and less bulk billing clinics. In our region, in just one year, there has been a drop of 36% in the number of medical clinics offering bulk billing to new adult patients without concessions who attend for a standard consultation.”
“The research by Cleanbill indicates that over 1.2 million Australians per year delay or forgo care with a GP in their community because of concerns around cost. How many people in our Ipswich region are doing just that?”
“In this cost-of-living crisis, Ipswich residents are being hit from all directions. Ipswich residents should not have to choose between seeing a doctor and putting food on the table or paying the rent. It is just not good enough. This is all part and parcel of the cost-of-living crisis under the Albanese Labor Government.”
Senator Paul Scarr said that the former Coalition Government increased Medicare funding every single year, almost doubling the funding of Medicare during the Coalition’s period in government.
Data source: Cleanbill
Cleanbill is a completely free-to-use online healthcare directory aimed at ensuring that all Australians can find affordable and available healthcare around them. Cleanbill lists full information, including pricing information, for every single dental and GP clinic it has been able to find across the country. Users of the website can search all of the GP and dental clinics around them and filter them by cost and availability in order to see only those that they know they can afford and that will take them on as a patient.
Cleanbill is not affiliated with any political party or organisation.
Cleanbill contact: James Gillespie on james@cleanbill.com.au or 0481 331 661.
