Tasmania has recorded the biggest turnaround in GP bulk-billing of any state, going from zero clinics offering free consultations to 37 in just 12 months.
The latest Cleanbill report found 33% of Tasmanian clinics are now fully bulk-billing, up from 0% in January 2025 – the largest percentage-point increase of any jurisdiction in the country.
The dramatic shift followed the federal government’s expansion of bulk-billing incentives, which came into effect in November.
Despite the improvement, Tasmanians who attend clinics that don’t bulk-bill are still paying more than anyone else in Australia.
The average out-of-pocket cost in the state has risen by 12% to $60.76, the highest in the country.
When combined with the Medicare rebate, a standard GP consultation in Tasmania now costs more than $100.
By comparison, the national average gap fee sits at $49.23.
Cleanbill surveyed 132 Tasmanian clinics between November and mid-December 2025, with 88% accepting new patients.
The report found the rise in gap fees was partly driven by lower-cost clinics switching to bulk-billing, pushing up the average among remaining private practices.
Nationally, more than 1,000 clinics have switched from private or mixed billing to fully bulk-billing over the past year.
The report also recorded a net decline in GP clinic numbers for the first time, with consolidations and closures observed across the country.
Tasmania’s bulk-billing rate now sits just below the national average of 40%.
New South Wales and the Northern Territory lead the country, with more than half of clinics in each jurisdiction now bulk-billing all patients.
