Date: March 2026
The RACGP has provided a submission to the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee in response to the Health Legislation Amendment (Improving Choice and Transparency for Private Health Consumers) Bill 2026.
The Bill would enable publication of practitioner-level healthcare fee information, including average fees and bulk-billing rates, using administrative datasets such as Medicare, hospital and insurer data. It also includes measures to expand oversight and transparency relating to treatments covered by private health insurance policies.
The RACGP’s submission supports transparency for patients and the principle of informed financial consent but does not support the Bill in its current form. The submission raises concerns that publication of GP-level fee data derived from administrative datasets may create misleading comparisons, influence billing behaviour, and place additional pressure on the financial sustainability of general practice and access to care.
The RACGP has recommended that the legislation be amended to include appropriate safeguards, consultation requirements, and implementation constraints, and would support the Bill if amended accordingly.
Read the response
RACGP response to Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee inquiry (PDF)