Medicare Review Calls for Better Support for Longer GP Consultations
03 Sep 2026
The draft report was prepared by the Time-Tiered Primary Care Working Group and forms part of a review by the Medicare Benefits Schedule Review Advisory Committee (MRAC).
The review found that the current payment system can favour shorter consultations because the difference in payment per minute between short and long appointments is too large.
It also found gender-related differences. Female GPs are more likely to provide longer consultations, while female patients are also more likely to have longer appointments.
The working group said increasing fees for longer consultation levels could be one of the quickest ways to address the gap. It also recommended changing bulk-billing incentives so they are based on a percentage of the MBS fee. This would provide a larger incentive for longer consultations.
Other proposed changes include starting the after-hours period at 6 pm instead of 8 pm and introducing a higher payment loading for care provided between 11 pm and 7 am.
The report also supports simplifying the MBS by moving towards one set of time-based consultation items, with appropriate adjustments based on provider qualifications or type.
The recommendations aim to make Medicare payments better reflect patients’ individual healthcare needs and support more comprehensive care.
RACGP President Dr Michael Wright welcomed the draft report, saying it addresses several concerns about the current Medicare system, including the lower financial support for longer consultations.
He said more information about the proposed fees is still needed to understand how the changes would affect general practices.
The review includes 23 recommendations and is open for public consultation until 15 October. If all recommendations are adopted, the number of time-based attendance items could fall to fewer than 100.
Medicare Review Calls for Better Support for Longer GP Consultations
Source: Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care; RACGP