AMA Campaign Highlights Why Medicare Gap Costs Are Increasing
06 Aug 2026
The campaign, The Medicare Gap, aims to help Australians better understand how Medicare funding works across general practice, specialist consultations and surgery, and why out-of-pocket healthcare costs continue to rise.
According to the AMA, many discussions about healthcare costs have focused on doctors, but the organisation says the real issue is an outdated Medicare funding system that no longer reflects the cost of delivering quality care.
The AMA is calling for Medicare reform through its Modernise Medicare campaign, which proposes a new seven-tier rebate structure. It says the changes would improve patient access to GPs, including after-hours care, while supporting practices to deliver comprehensive healthcare.
The campaign also highlights funding challenges for specialist consultations, with the AMA saying years of frozen rebates, limited investment and delayed reforms have reduced Medicare support for specialist care.
In addition, the AMA has released its Uncovering the Gaps in Private Health resource, which explains how differences in private health insurer rebates can significantly affect patients' out-of-pocket costs.
The organisation says rebate variations between insurers mean patients can face very different costs for the same medical service, despite health insurance policies carrying the same government-endorsed gold, silver or bronze classifications.
The AMA is urging reforms to create a simpler, fairer and more sustainable Medicare system that improves access to affordable healthcare for Australians.
AMA Campaign Highlights Why Medicare Gap Costs Are Increasing
Source: Australian Medical Association (AMA)