Data tracking 322 clinics shows rising out-of-pocket costs and tightening access, sharpening the focus on transparency across Australia’s dermatology sector.
Dermatology fees are rising across Australia, with new Cleanbill data pointing to growing out-of-pocket costs and persistent variability between clinics, sharpening concerns about affordability and access in a specialty already under pressure.
The April 2026 Dermatologist Listings Report captures pricing and availability data from 322 clinics nationwide, comparing a full dataset collected at the end of 2025 with earlier figures from late 2024.
It marks the first time Cleanbill has produced a longitudinal analysis of dermatology fees, offering a rare snapshot of how costs are shifting over time rather than a static view.
The findings suggest a clear upward drift in consultation fees, with patient costs continuing to depend heavily on location, clinic type and availability.
Nationally, from the 322 dermatology clinics identified, 93.3% reported availability (the number of clinics in the jurisdiction that were taking on new patients when Cleanbill called). The average initial consult cost was $230.22, with follow-up consultations averaging $189.58.
New South Wales had the highest number of clinics (116), with 92.4% availability. Average initial consults were $237.45 and follow-ups $190.42. Victoria recorded 85 clinics and the highest availability at 98.8%, with initial consults averaging $236.35 and follow-ups $201.64.
Queensland had 61 clinics with 91.1% availability, and the highest average initial consult cost nationally at $249.28, alongside follow-ups at $200.30. Western Australia reported 26 clinics with 95.8% availability, and comparatively lower fees at $199.72 for initial consults and $159.83 for follow-ups.
South Australia had 25 clinics but the lowest availability at 80%, with initial consults averaging $162.00 and follow-ups $156.95 – among the lowest nationally.
Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory each reported four clinics with full availability (100%). Tasmania’s fees were lower, with initial consults at $184.35 and follow-ups at $117.82, while the ACT recorded higher costs at $238.23 and $194.78 respectively.
The Northern Territory had just one clinic, also reporting full availability, with initial consults averaging $243.85 and follow-ups $176.65.
While variability in specialist fees is not new, the report underscored how uneven pricing remained across the country, raising questions about transparency and consistency for patients navigating care.
The work builds on Cleanbill’s broader effort to map healthcare access, which has already catalogued more than 13,000 general practice and dental clinics.
Dermatology was added to its directory in late 2024, with the organisation collecting detailed information on pricing, billing practices and appointment availability before repeating the process a year later to track change.
For dermatologists, the trajectory reflected in the data will be familiar. Demand for specialist care continues to grow, driven by an ageing population, increasing skin cancer burden and the rising complexity of inflammatory and chronic skin disease management.
At the same time, practices are contending with higher operating costs, workforce constraints and evolving patient expectations around access and transparency.
Against that backdrop, the Australasian College of Dermatologists (ACD) said the widening gap between public funding and the cost of care was a central issue shaping fee trends.
“The gap between Medicare rebates and the cost of providing specialist dermatology care has significantly widened over time, with Medicare rebates now increasingly out of step with the real costs of delivering high-quality care,” said ACD president Adrian Kim.
“This is because stagnant Medicare rebate indexation has failed to keep pace with inflation, the rising clinical complexity of care and the costs of running a sustainable practice.”
Related
Cleanbill’s dataset also highlighted inconsistent fee transparency as another issue.
While some clinics publish detailed pricing information, others provide limited or no upfront guidance on costs, leaving patients uncertain about likely out-of-pocket expenses until late in the referral pathway.
“The ACD believes Australians deserve clear, reliable information on fees, rebates and likely out-of-pocket costs, so that patients can make informed decisions before commencing care,” said Dr Kim.
“We stand firmly with the specialist medical profession in our joint commitment to ethical billing. Patients must come first; fees must be fair, transparent and never exploitative.
“Our expectations of ethical, transparent and patient-centred practice are embedded within our code of conduct and professional guidance and are consolidated in the Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges Medical Specialist Professionalism Framework on Ethical Billing and Fee Transparency, which prioritises fair, transparent and compassionate billing.”
The Cleanbill report noted that transparency alone did not resolve underlying affordability challenges, pointing to structural pressures that extended beyond individual clinic behaviour, including workforce distribution and capacity constraints.
Dermatology services remain concentrated in metropolitan areas, with regional patients often facing longer wait times, fewer options and, in some cases, higher effective costs due to travel and limited competition.
These access issues intersect with rising demand. Skin cancer continues to account for a significant share of dermatology workload in Australia, while conditions such as atopic dermatitis and psoriasis are increasingly managed with more complex and often time-intensive therapies.
The cumulative effect is a system in which both clinical demand and service intensity are increasing, placing further strain on capacity.
From a policy perspective, the College was clear about where it saw the most immediate lever for change.
“As demand for specialist care continues to grow and patient needs become increasingly complex, Medicare rebates must be properly priced to ensure patients can continue to access the specialist care they need, when they need it,” Dr Kim said.
Read the full Cleanbill report here.
