Open AccessDOES BULK BILLING CAUSE ABUSE OF MEDICARE?
Author(s) -
Richardson J.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
community health studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.946
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1753-6405
pISSN - 0314-9021
DOI - 10.1111/j.1753-6405.1987.tb00138.x
Subject(s) - medicine , family medicine , medical emergency , emergency medicine
Medicare data are examined to determine whether there is an association between bulk billing and the ‘abuse’ of Medicare. It is found that, with the exception of one group — ‘GP‐Specialist’, there is no systematic relationship between bulk billing and increased medical incomes. Neither GP gross income nor total fees per patient vary significantly with the proportion of items bulk billed. By contrast, there is a significant and systematic increase in total fees per patient as medical incomes increase.