Do Rurality-Based Financial Incentives Improve Equity of Primary Healthcare Access? Evidence From Australia.

ABSTRACT: In Australia, as in many other countries, people living in rural and remote areas experience poorer health outcomes and use less primary healthcare compared to urban populations. Aiming to reduce these inequities, in 2022 the Australian government increased rural-based financial incentives for General Practitioners (GPs) to "bulk bill" (i.e., provide care with zero patient out-of-pocket costs) children and concession card holders (low-income patients and older adults) living in rural and remote, but not urban areas. Using whole-of-population administrative data and exploiting variation in the eligibility of geographic areas to receive these incentives, we find that, compared to people living in urban areas, the reform led to a 2.7% (95% CI 2.2; 3.2) increase in the number of GP visits, a 9

SUBMITTER: Saxby K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12316583 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature