{"title":"Bulk-billing rates and out-of-pocket costs for general practitioner services in Australia, 2022, by SA3 region: analysis of Medicare claims data.","authors":"Karinna Saxby, Yuting Zhang","doi":"10.5694/mja2.52562","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To examine bulk-billing rates and out-of-pocket costs for non-bulk-billed general practitioner services in Australia at the Statistical Area 3 (SA3) level; to assess differences by area-level socio-economic disadvantage and remoteness.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>Retrospective analysis of administrative data (Medicare claims data).</p><p><strong>Setting, participants: </strong>All Medicare claims for non-referred general practitioner services in Australia during the 2022 calendar year, as recorded in the Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA).</p><p><strong>Main outcome measures: </strong>Mean proportions of general practitioner services that were bulk-billed and mean patient out-of-pocket costs for non-bulk-billed general practitioner visits by SA3 region, adjusted for area-level age and sex, both overall and by area-level socio-economic disadvantage (Index of Relative Socioeconomic Disadvantage quintile) and remoteness (simplified Modified Monash Model category).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>During 2022, 82% (95% confidence interval [CI], 80-83%) of general practitioner services in Australia were bulk-billed; the mean out-of-pocket cost for non-bulk-billed visits was $43 (95% CI, $42-44). By SA3, mean bulk-billing rates ranged between 46% and 99%, mean out-of-pocket costs for non-bulk-billed general practitioner visit between $16 and $99. Bulk-billing rates were higher in regions in the most socio-economically disadvantaged quintile (86%; 95% CI, 84-88%) than those in the least disadvantaged quintile (73%; 95% CI, 70-76%); the mean rate was not significantly different for remote (86%; 95% CI, 79-92%) and metropolitan areas (81%; 95% CI, 79-83%). Out-of-pocket costs for non-bulk-billed general practitioner services were higher in remote ($56; 95% CI, $46-66) than in metropolitan areas ($43; 95% CI, $42-44), and lower in areas in the most socio-economically disadvantaged quintile ($42; 95% CI, $40-45) than in those in the least disadvantaged quintile ($47; 95% CI, $45-49).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Although most general practitioner services are bulk-billed, out-of-pocket costs for non-bulk-billed services are relatively high, particularly for people in remote and socio-economically disadvantaged areas of Australia.</p>","PeriodicalId":18214,"journal":{"name":"Medical Journal of Australia","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.7000,"publicationDate":"2024-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Medical Journal of Australia","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.5694/mja2.52562","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"MEDICINE, GENERAL & INTERNAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objectives: To examine bulk-billing rates and out-of-pocket costs for non-bulk-billed general practitioner services in Australia at the Statistical Area 3 (SA3) level; to assess differences by area-level socio-economic disadvantage and remoteness.
Study design: Retrospective analysis of administrative data (Medicare claims data).
Setting, participants: All Medicare claims for non-referred general practitioner services in Australia during the 2022 calendar year, as recorded in the Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA).
Main outcome measures: Mean proportions of general practitioner services that were bulk-billed and mean patient out-of-pocket costs for non-bulk-billed general practitioner visits by SA3 region, adjusted for area-level age and sex, both overall and by area-level socio-economic disadvantage (Index of Relative Socioeconomic Disadvantage quintile) and remoteness (simplified Modified Monash Model category).
Results: During 2022, 82% (95% confidence interval [CI], 80-83%) of general practitioner services in Australia were bulk-billed; the mean out-of-pocket cost for non-bulk-billed visits was $43 (95% CI, $42-44). By SA3, mean bulk-billing rates ranged between 46% and 99%, mean out-of-pocket costs for non-bulk-billed general practitioner visit between $16 and $99. Bulk-billing rates were higher in regions in the most socio-economically disadvantaged quintile (86%; 95% CI, 84-88%) than those in the least disadvantaged quintile (73%; 95% CI, 70-76%); the mean rate was not significantly different for remote (86%; 95% CI, 79-92%) and metropolitan areas (81%; 95% CI, 79-83%). Out-of-pocket costs for non-bulk-billed general practitioner services were higher in remote ($56; 95% CI, $46-66) than in metropolitan areas ($43; 95% CI, $42-44), and lower in areas in the most socio-economically disadvantaged quintile ($42; 95% CI, $40-45) than in those in the least disadvantaged quintile ($47; 95% CI, $45-49).
Conclusion: Although most general practitioner services are bulk-billed, out-of-pocket costs for non-bulk-billed services are relatively high, particularly for people in remote and socio-economically disadvantaged areas of Australia.
期刊介绍:
The Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) stands as Australia's foremost general medical journal, leading the dissemination of high-quality research and commentary to shape health policy and influence medical practices within the country. Under the leadership of Professor Virginia Barbour, the expert editorial team at MJA is dedicated to providing authors with a constructive and collaborative peer-review and publication process. Established in 1914, the MJA has evolved into a modern journal that upholds its founding values, maintaining a commitment to supporting the medical profession by delivering high-quality and pertinent information essential to medical practice.