Does bulk billing cause abuse of medicare?

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. 1987 Public Health Association of Australia