▁is ▁freely ▁accessible ▁online . ▁The ▁schedule ▁fee ▁is ▁the ▁government ' s ▁standard ▁cost ▁of ▁a ▁particular ▁medical ▁service . ▁The ▁Australian ▁Medical ▁Association ▁( the ▁do ctors ' ▁union ) ▁maintain s ▁a ▁similar ▁schedule ▁called ▁the ▁A MA ▁List ▁of ▁Medical ▁Services ▁and ▁Fe es ▁( A MA ▁Fe es ▁List ), ▁which ▁provides ▁members ▁with ▁" cost ing ▁assistance ▁and ▁guidance ". ▁It ▁represents ▁the ▁" market ▁rate " ▁for ▁services . ▁ ▁Service ▁prov iders ▁can ▁charge ▁consum ers ▁whatever ▁fee ▁they ▁wish , ▁which ▁is ▁often ▁lower ▁than ▁the ▁schedule ▁fee ▁for ▁low ▁income ▁clients , ▁and ▁higher ▁than ▁the ▁schedule ▁fee ▁for ▁everyone ▁else . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁an ▁O E CD ▁study ▁found ▁that ▁Australia ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 9 ▁countries ▁studied ▁to ▁give ▁service ▁prov iders ▁this ▁freedom . ▁ ▁At ▁its ▁in ception , ▁the ▁M BS ▁was ▁the ▁same ▁as ▁the ▁A MA ' s ▁equivalent . ▁However , ▁the ▁government ▁has ▁allowed ▁a ▁large ▁gap ▁to ▁grow ▁between ▁the ▁M BS ▁fe es ▁and ▁what ▁is ▁charged ▁in ▁the ▁market , ▁in ▁part ▁by ▁free zing ▁index ation ▁of ▁the ▁schedule ▁fe es ▁for ▁special ists ▁from ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁to ▁ 2 0 2 0 , ▁and ▁GP s ▁from ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁to ▁ 2 0 2 0 . ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁suggested ▁that ▁M BS ▁schedule ▁fe es ▁are ▁now ▁approximately ▁ 4 5 % ▁of