RACGP raises concerns over proposed fee transparency changes
17 Aug 2026
The Government is considering six options to improve fee transparency and reduce “bill shock”. The RACGP says five of the options mainly rely on stronger regulation, compliance and enforcement.
The college warns these measures could increase red tape for GPs and take time and resources away from patient care. It also says additional compliance requirements could add to workforce pressures and affect the viability of general practices.
One proposal would give the Professional Services Review or the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing’s compliance branch a stronger role in enforcing informed financial consent requirements. Other options include expanding the powers of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency or the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, or creating a new regulator.
The RACGP says general practices should not be responsible for explaining fees charged by other healthcare providers. It also argues that compliance requirements should be applied consistently across the healthcare system.
Instead, the RACGP supports the sixth option, which focuses on education, guidance and voluntary compliance without introducing additional legislation.
The college says better education about existing requirements could help patients understand costs, improve fee transparency and reduce non-compliant billing, while avoiding unnecessary administrative work for GPs.
The RACGP also wants fee information to be presented in context. It says simple comparisons between fees may not reflect differences in the complexity, value or quality of care provided.
The Government consultation also examines split billing. The consultation paper says splitting costs across different invoices and payers can make it harder for patients to understand the total cost of care.
The RACGP says split billing is already a lawful part of the Medicare system and can occur when different services provided during the same visit are billed in different ways. It says any changes should avoid creating confusion about existing Medicare billing arrangements.
The college also highlighted its forthcoming sixth edition of Standards for general practices, which it says will strengthen guidance around fee transparency, informed financial consent and Medicare billing education.
The debate comes as the Government continues to focus on high non-GP specialist fees and broader concerns about the affordability of private specialist care. The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing says its fee transparency consultation was designed to explore ways to improve patients’ understanding of likely healthcare costs and reduce bill shock.
RACGP raises concerns over proposed fee transparency changes
Source: Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP); Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.