Questions raised over legality of bulk-billing membership fees

Almost 100 Australian medical clinics are charging sign-on or membership fees to patients who want to access bulk billing services, according to a national report. Questions are being raised over the legality of the fees. The Health Insurance Act disallows any additional charges on top of a bulk-billed service. The report by Cleanbill says the exact membership models are not clear. The national rate of bulk billing has declined significantly falling from 82 per cent to 76.5 per cent between 2022 and 2023.