Surge in working-age people avoiding GP care due to cost

There has been a spike in the number of people missing out on GP care due to cost-of-living pressures, according to new analysis by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
 
The overall percentage of people who reported not visiting the GP due to cost went up from 7% in 2022–23 to 8.8% for 2023–24, data in the annual Patient Experience Survey indicates.
 
Just two years ago, in 2021–22, only 3.5% of people put off or did not see a GP when they needed to due to the cost.
 
The increase was much sharper among younger patients, while those aged 65 and older were noticeably less likely to avoid a GP visit – a trend likely to indicate the impact of the tripled bulk-billing incentive introduced in November 2023.
 
The worst affected demographic is among those aged 25–34 years old, with 15.4% attributing delayed GP care to costs, compared to 10.2% the previous year.
 
However, all groups up to the age of 54 showed a greater tendency to avoid care due to financial concerns.
 
A similar age-related trend is also clear among those taking prescription medications, although the survey suggests that people are more likely to forego a GP appointment due to costs than their medicine.
 
It shows more than 10% of people in the most disadvantaged areas skipped prescription medication due to financial concerns, with the overall level at 8% – slightly lower than those reporting avoiding GP visits for the same reason.
 
RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins said the data reflects the impact of the investment into bulk billing called for by the RACGP, but said more needs to be done to help patients of all ages access healthcare.
 
‘GPs have been able to bulk bill more children, pensioners, and healthcare card holders since the tripling of bulk-billing incentives,’ she said.
 
‘But more is needed to ensure everyone in Australia can get the care they need, and with the cost-of-living crisis, too many people are delaying essential care.’
 
As well as younger people, women and patients from disadvantaged socio-economic areas are all more likely to avoid care, the data suggests.
 
‘The ABS data shows that more people are delaying healthcare because they simply can’t afford it,’ Dr Higgins said.
 
‘We’re also seeing young people starting to treat preventive care as optional, because it’s a cost they can’t afford, which is concerning.
 
‘Preventive care is essential at all ages – it is how we catch disease early, get on top of health issues, and help people live healthier and longer lives.
 
‘We’re calling on the Government to do more to make general practice care accessible and affordable for everyone, including by increasing patients’ Medicare rebates for longer consults.’
 
Specifically, the RACGP is requesting a 20% increase in Medicare rebates for Level C (20–40 minutes) and Level D (40-minutes plus) GP consultations, as well as for GP mental health items.
 
The RACGP is also calling for the Government to remunerate GPs for time spent on quality improvement activities, such as preparing housing, NDIS, Centrelink and driver’s licence medical reports and forms.
 
‘More investment in general practice will help to ensure that people at every income level stay healthy and out of hospital,’ Dr Higgins said.
 
The ABS statistics only relate to people aged 15 and older, so do not reflect the impact of the tripled bulk-billing incentive on younger children.
 
The proportion of people who made at least one GP visit during the 12-month period remained almost constant at 82.6% in 2023–24 compared to 82.3% the previous year.
 
Around two thirds of people (66.4%) said they could always see their preferred GP when required, while there was a dip in the number of patients saying they waited longer than they felt acceptable for an appointment (28%, down from 29.6% in 2022–23).
 
Those living in rural remote areas, as well as females and those with a long-term health condition, and people living in disadvantaged areas were most likely to report such delays.
 
The survey also confirms that GPs remain the most visited health professionals for mental health consultations, with 12.7% of people reporting they saw a GP for their own mental health in the past year.
 
As with previous years, most people said they were satisfied with the level of care they received from their GP, with 91.9% of participants saying their GP always or often listened carefully.   
 
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