Major Medicare and healthcare changes kicked in at the beginning of November, meaning Aussies may be paying more for a GP visit.

Video transcript

- Major Medicare and health care changes kicked in at the beginning of November. Meaning, some Aussies may be paying more for a GP visit. Here's what you need to know. The cost of non-bulk-billed GP appointments have increased after the Australian Medical Association recommended doctors hike their fees to combat rising costs.

The AMA has encouraged doctors to charge $102 for a standard consultation up from $98. However, it's only a guide, so not all GP clinics will charge the same rate. The Medicare patient rebate has increased by just $0.20 to $41.40 for a standard consultation.

So if GPs charge the recommended amount and the rebate is applied, patients may end up $60.$60 out of pocket. This is the third time this year the AMA has recommended doctors raise their fees to keep up with rising costs. At the same time, however, millions of Aussies are putting off seeing the doctor because they can't afford it.

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