Bulk-billing GPs continue to abandon Logan at rates larger than the rest of Queensland, according to a new study.
However, one part of the city – the federal electorate of Forde – is the only electorate outside of New South Wales and Victoria where more than 30% of GP clinics bulk bill all adult patients.
A new report by healthcare directory Cleanbill, studying bulk-billing rates in GPs across Australia, found the number of GPs that bulk bill all clients in Logan reduced by 23% over the past year.
Cleanbill CEO James Gillespie said all three electorates in Logan – Forde, Rankin and Wright – saw “significant declines” in the last two years.
“… each of which has been larger than the decline in QLD as a whole,” he said.
“And going to visit a mixed or private billing doctor has only gotten more expensive.”
The average out-of-pocket cost for a standard 15 minute consultation for patients in Logan rose by $2 in 2024, now costing more than $34.
“It is more difficult for a regular adult to find a bulk billing or low out-of-pocket cost GP in these electorates today than it was two years ago,” Mr Gillespie said.
“This is a trend mirrored across Australia, and that’s why we’ve seen over 1.5 million Australians delaying or foregoing care with a GP because of concerns surrounding cost.
“In such an environment, it’s critically important that people have access to information on the cost and availability of every GP clinic around them so they can make informed decisions about their healthcare.”
