ACT bulk bill and out-of-pocket costs for GP in Canberra, Bean and Fenner electorates

The electorates of Bean and Canberra in the ACT are the third and fourth most expensive in the country to see a doctor for a standard, 15-minute consultation.

The two most expensive electorates are in Sydney, new data from advocacy group Cleanbill reveals.

This means some Belconnen and Gungahlin residents only pay $4 less to see a general practitioner than Sydney-siders in millionaire suburbs like Bellevue Hill, Point Piper and Vaucluse.

The western Sydney electorate of Parramatta is the most expensive in the country.

The ACT has the lowest bulk-billing rate and highest out-of-pocket costs than all states and territories.

Only 5.5 per cent of ACT GP clinics bulk bill, and it costs on average $49.11 out of pocket to see a doctor for 15 minutes.

Nationwide, 35 per cent of clinics bulk bill and a standard 15-minute consultation costs nearly $41 out of pocket.

People in the electorate of Bean - which covers much of south Canberra - pay about $52 out of pocket for a short visit.

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The appointment is also reimbursed through Medicare for $39.75.

Bean has a bulk-billing rate of 6.7 per cent.

Canberra residents, in inner north and Belconnen suburbs, are charged only 66 cents less than those in Bean.

The electorate has a bulk-billing rate of three per cent.

There is somewhat good news for residents of the electorate of Fenner, which includes Gungahlin and north Belconnen suburbs.

They are out of pocket $10 less than their southside counterparts at nearly $43. This is only $2 more than the national average.

Fenner has a bulk-billing rate of 7.1 per cent.

The data was collected by calling up each general practitioner in the country and confirming their rates, Cleanbill founder James Gillespie said.

Only five clinics in the ACT bulk bill every patient, meaning they only charge what Medicare covers.

The data collected by Cleanbill differs from federal government statistics. The government includes all Medicare items when determining a bulk-billing rate, Mr Gillepsie said.

He said comparing the most common reason people go to the GP - for a short consultation - gave a more accurate picture than federal government data.

"In these circumstances, it's easy to see why hundreds of thousands of Australians per year delay or forego care with a GP in their community because of concerns surrounding cost. These Australians almost inevitably end up in public hospitals," he said.

"This should not be happening.

"If out-of-hospital primary healthcare is to be accessible for all Australians, a service that helps people find available doctors who they can afford around them is no longer a luxury; it's a necessity."

Cleanbill said they surveyed 92 clinics in the ACT, and reached out to every GP service in the country.

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