A new report has revealed that less than one in four GP clinics offer bulk-billing to all adult patients. This is a drop of more than 11 per cent in just the last year.

And it's leaving patients with hefty bills and forcing them to cough up, on average, $41 for a standard consult, which is more than 3 percent higher than last year. 

Tasmanians are facing the biggest out-of-pocket costs in the country, where less than one in 100 clinics bulk-bill. 

Last financial year, more than 1.2 million Aussies dodged the GP because they were worried about the cost. That was double the year before

But doctors say their hands are tied. 

The problem is a near-decade-long freeze on the medicare rebate, followed by meagre increases, well below inflation.

In November, the government tripled the incentive paid to GPs who bulk bill concession card holders and children under 16. 

So can we stem the bulk billing bleed before it's too late?