Canberra’s Bulk-Billing Rate Lags Well Behind National Average

ACT’s bulk-billing rate sits just above 50 percent, well below the national average of more than 70 percent.

Senator David Pocock speaks during question time at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on July 28, 2022. Martin Ollman/Getty Images

Canberra continues to lag well behind the rest of the country on bulk billing, with ACT Senator David Pocock warning that rising gap fees are hitting local patients harder than elsewhere as the territory’s bulk-billing rate remains just above 50 percent.

During Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee estimates hearing on June 3, Pocock highlighted the gap between the ACT and the rest of the country, noting that New South Wales has a bulk-billing rate of 85.5 percent.