GP Earnings

What GPs actually earn from home visits in Australia

Realistic numbers on private billing rates, Medicare rebates, visit volume, and how the no-commission model changes the income equation for GPs doing home visits through C.A.L.L.S.

Private billing rates for GP home visits

GP home visit fees in Australia are set by the individual GP and vary based on consultation length, complexity, travel distance, and time of day. Standard private home visit consultations typically range from $150 to $250 for a routine visit of 20 to 30 minutes. Complex or longer visits range from $250 to $350. After-hours visits - evenings, weekends, and public holidays - command a premium that most GPs set at 30 to 50 percent above their standard daytime rate.

Urgent same-day visits carry the highest rates, reflecting the disruption to the GP's schedule and the clinical acuity of the presentation. Many GPs doing home visits set an urgent visit surcharge of $50 to $100 on top of their standard rate. These rates are not regulated - they are set entirely by the GP based on their assessment of the market and the value of the service they are providing.

Medicare item numbers for GP home visits

GPs who choose to bulk bill home visits can claim Medicare item numbers specific to in-home consultations. These item numbers attract higher rebates than equivalent in-clinic consultations to reflect the additional time and travel involved in visiting a patient at home. The exact rebate depends on the item number claimed, which is determined by the nature and duration of the consultation.

The decision to bulk bill or privately bill is entirely the GP's own. C.A.L.L.S supports both billing models. GPs who bulk bill use the platform for dispatch and logistics and handle their Medicare claiming through their usual process. GPs who privately bill set their fee on the platform and receive the full fee through the C.A.L.L.S payment system with no commission deducted.

How visit volume affects income

Home visit income scales directly with visit volume and is uncapped by room availability or appointment slot constraints. A GP working from a clinic is limited by the number of consultation rooms and appointment slots the practice can offer. A GP doing home visits is limited only by how many visits they can physically complete in a session, which is determined by travel distances and visit complexity.

These figures represent gross earnings before tax and platform membership cost. The C.A.L.L.S membership fee is fixed regardless of visit volume - a GP doing 5 visits per week pays the same membership as a GP doing 25 visits per week. As visit volume increases, the membership cost becomes a progressively smaller proportion of total earnings.

Comparing home visit income to clinic income

The income comparison between home visiting and clinic work depends heavily on the clinic arrangement. GPs working as employees in a corporate clinic earn a salary or a percentage of billings with the practice taking a significant proportion. GPs renting a room pay a room fee before any income is generated, which creates a baseline overhead that must be covered before profit begins.

A GP renting a consultation room at $150 per session and seeing 20 patients at a $70 Medicare rebate generates $1,400 in billings and $1,250 in net income after room rent. A GP doing 7 private home visits at $200 each generates $1,400 in billings and $1,400 in net income - the same gross but with no room overhead deducted. At higher visit rates the advantage of home visiting becomes more pronounced.

The no-commission difference

Most platforms that connect healthcare providers with patients take a percentage of the consultation fee. A 15 percent commission on a $200 home visit costs the GP $30 per visit. A GP doing 10 visits per week loses $300 per week - over $15,000 per year - to platform commission before any other costs are considered.

C.A.L.L.S takes no commission. The platform earns from a flat monthly membership fee paid by the GP. At any meaningful visit volume the flat membership costs substantially less than a percentage commission would. And unlike commission, the membership cost does not scale with your success - doing more visits does not cost more.