Medicare to GP: Bulk-billing co-ops probably illegal
Advice comes in response to queries from long-time critic Dr Thinus van Rensburg
Medicare’s expert advice service seems to have declared GP co-operatives, which charge membership fees while offering bulk-billed consults, are breaking the law, despite their continued expansion.
Many GPs have raised questions about the rise of co-operatives – not-for-profit outfits like National Health Co-op, which charge patient membership fees in return for universal bulk-billing.
