In response to falling rates of bulk billing, in April 2003 the Australian Government proposed changes to the way that general practitioners (GPs) are reimbursed. It claimed that the General Practice Access Scheme (GPAS) would benefit all Australians by providing more affordable access to GP...

Using Australian general practitioners (GPs) as a case study, this paper examines the impact of a public subsidy withdrawal on provider behaviour. The removal of the joint injection item from public insurance provides an opportunity to examine behavioural changes in the context of the removal of...