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A West Australian man whose chronic illness has impacted his ability to earn an income was forced to beg his doctor to bulk-bill a consult, with one doctor saying unaffordable health care is putting patients at risk of getting sicker.
Perth resident Tyler Breen, 27, lives with a debilitating gut condition that often prevents him from working.
The loss of income from missed shifts coupled with rising living costs have left Mr Breen with no choice but to put off his medical appointments.
"I've ended up having to pay when I can afford it and my treatment has become extremely inconsistent," he said.
"I have only gone when I have run out of medication or things have gotten really serious.
"I was having three days of nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting and that was the point I had to go in."
Mr Breen's doctor bulk-billed his last appointment after he pleaded for help.
"I don't think I'd feel comfortable doing it again just because it doesn't feel right to have to beg for medical attention," he said.
"It just makes me feel a bit gross having to ask them to help me out."
Subsidies not enough, GP says
The federal government last year announced it would triple the incentives paid to doctors who bulk-bill children under the age of 16, pensioners and Commonwealth concession card holders.
Health Minister Mark Butler said the national bulk-billing rate rose by 2.1 percentage points in the first two months of the initiative.
He said the incentives applied to three in every five consultations with a general practitioner.
WA GP Damian Zilm said industry professionals welcomed the subsidies, but said the scheme excluded a large cohort of people struggling with cost-of-living pressures.
Dr Zilm said more patients were delaying care as a result.
"We're seeing a lot of conditions presenting later than they should be," he said.
"These have long-term health consequences which end up costing the Australian government and Australian health care system more money in the long run."
The Australian Bureau of Statistics found more than 1.2 million people did not go to a GP in 2022-23 because of cost-related concerns, more than double the previous years' figures.
People aged 25-34 years old were among the most likely to delay or avoid a GP consultation, according to the data.
Treatment comes with high price tag
Sydney resident Rohan Grant-Dawes lives with ulcerative colitis and has resorted to alternative treatment methods because of high medical costs.
The 21-year-old electrical apprentice said the financial pinch of getting diagnosed and treated had taken a toll.
"When you have a chronic condition that requires ongoing treatment and check-ins with healthcare professionals, you've kind of got to look at your budget and start to balance the cost," he said.
"It's that decision of, do I go out for dinner with friends tonight or do I go to the GP and get my blood tests done?"
Mr Grant-Dawes said it was a $500 prescription for a two-week course of steroids that tipped him over the edge.
"I just couldn't justify it in the end and started looking elsewhere for some means of getting better," he said.
GP costs on the rise
Dr Zilm said Medicare rebates needed to keep up with inflation to keep GP consults affordable.
"The costs in general practice do not decrease … they are increasing at the rate of inflation," he said.
"GPs try very hard to provide the best care and the highest quality care for their patients but unfortunately that gap [in bulk billing] is something that they cannot continue to cover.
"We need to have a discussion about what the rebates actually are, what the cost of actually running a general practice is, and the true cost of seeing a GP."
The Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP)has called for a 20 per cent increase to the Medicare rebate for longer consultations in the upcoming May federal budget.
Mr Butler said the government would consider RACGP's submission as part of the normal budget process.
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