New data from the 2026 Health of the Nation report indicates that female doctors are receiving lower financial compensation under the current Medicare system due to the longer consultation times required for their patients. According to the report, female general practitioners (GPs) spend an average of 21 minutes per consultation, compared with 18 minutes for their male counterparts. Experts attribute the extended consultation time largely to the more complex care female doctors provide, which often involves addressing mental health issues, domestic violence, menopause, and reproductive health.
Under Medicare’s rules, consultations lasting less than 20 minutes receive a standard rebate, regardless of whether they last six minutes or 19 minutes. Consultations that exceed 20 minutes fall into a higher rebate category but can also result in higher out-of-pocket costs for patients. This structure has been criticized for inadvertently penalizing female GPs, who tend to spend more time per patient.
Dr. Rebekah Hoffman described the situation as an example of hidden “medical misogyny,” emphasizing that the system favors shorter consultations, which disproportionately benefits male doctors. She highlighted that this disparity contributes to various gender-related issues in the medical profession, including the gender pay gap, lower rates of practice ownership, and fewer women entering academic roles. “When we talk about things like the gender pay gap, or how many females go into practice ownership or how many females go into academia, that’s largely hidden,” Dr. Hoffman said, urging more open discussion about these structural inequalities.
Supporting these findings, research from the Royal Australian College of GPs found that psychological issues rank among the top three patient concerns for 71 percent of female GPs, compared with 58 percent for males. An analysis by Ochre Health further revealed that male GPs earn 6.5 percent more per consulting hour than their female peers, reflecting the differences in how consultation time is reimbursed.
Critics argue that Medicare’s current rebate system does not sufficiently recognize the time and complexity required to treat conditions more frequently managed by female doctors. While the higher rebate for longer consultations aims to compensate for additional time spent, it can lead to increased costs for patients, potentially discouraging longer visits and contributing to financial disadvantages for female practitioners.
The findings have sparked calls for a review of Medicare’s consultation pricing structure to better address the needs of both patients and doctors and to reduce gender-based disparities within the healthcare system.