'I reject that': Gallagher and Pocock clash on ACT bulk billing rates

Canberra has the worst bulk billing rate of all the states and territories, at 53.4 per cent as of November 2023. That figure puts it behind every other jurisdiction by at least 17 percentage points.

An independent survey, conducted by comparison site Cleanbill, found in January the proportion of clinics actually offering bulk-billing has dipped as low as 3.8 per cent.

The ACT also trails well behind the national average rate of 77.7 per cent.

The ACT senators clashed over the issue in Senate estimates on Thursday afternoon. Senator Gallagher was representing the Minister for Health Mark Butler.

"What I'm hearing from Canberrans is this is urgent," Senator Pocock said.

"This would affect your staff, your grads, thousands of Canberrans out there who are really struggling to find a bulk billing GP.

"I'd love to see this get the same attention it would potentially get if this was a more marginal electorate, I don't know, I don't want to be cynical but -," he said, before he was interrupted by Senator Gallagher.

The former ACT Chief Minister and Health Minister said she rejected the comment.

"I reject that, as someone who has spent about the last 15 years working specifically on trying to ensure Canberrans get access to affordable and accessible health care," Senator Gallagher, who is also the Finance Minister, said.

"It's not fair to come in here and say that you think it's because we're not a marginal seat.

"It's complex, the reasons aren't related to electoral boundaries."

Senator Pocock asked Health officials what measures they were considering, including reviewing whether Canberra can be classified as a rural location.

The ACT lost that status, and with it some bulk-billing incentives, when a new classification system was introduced in 2020.

A review is currently underway into the Modified Monash Model, which sets out definitions for metropolitan, rural, remote or very remote areas, with the interim report due in the middle of the year.

The Albanese government tripled bulk-billing incentive payments for doctors from November 1 last year, and expanded the types of consultations which could be bulk-billed. This increased bulk billed visits by about 1.9 per cent in the ACT, over October and November.

They have also provided $7.1 million between 2022-23 to 2025-26 for expanded bulk billing services at a walk-in clinic, known as an Urgent Care Clinic, on Canberra's southside.