What is patient co-payment?

• A. The amount paid by the patient to make up the gap between what the doctor charges and the scheduled fee
• B. The full cost of the GP visit
• C. The government's subsidy to medicines
• D. The doctor’s payment to Medicare

Answer: (A)

Co-payment is the out-of-pocket amount the patient pays to cover the gap between what the doctor charges and the government-scheduled fee for that service. In Australia, Medicare rebates apply up to the scheduled fee; if the doctor charges more, the extra amount is the co-payment the patient must pay. If the doctor bulk-bills, there’s no co-payment because the doctor accepts the scheduled fee as full payment. The full cost of the visit is just the doctor’s charge, the PBS subsidy covers medicines, and the doctor’s payment to Medicare is the reimbursement to the doctor, not the patient’s share.