Australians are paying much more for health care than people in France and the UK, consumer advocates say, amid debate over a proposed Medicare co-payment.

Further, 17 per cent of healthcare expenditure in Australia is already being funded by individual co-payments, and any extra fee will create major barriers to accessing health care, a report by the Consumers Health Forum suggests.

The proposal to charge patients a $6 fee for bulk-billed GP visits was raised in late December by a health consultant who said it was a reasonable measure to keep the Medicare system going.

Health Minister Peter Dutton has flagged major changes to the system, saying he wants to have a frank and fearless conversation about co-payments.

But the forum, the national peak body representing the interests of Australian healthcare consumers, says if the $6 co-payment proposal was implemented, low-income earners would be hit hardest, along with the chronically ill and the elderly.

The forum's chief executive, Adam Stankevicius, says consumers should not be slugged with more fees.

"We want to have an evidence-based discussion as to what it is that's going to make the biggest impact in terms of better financially managing the sustainability of our healthcare system," he said.

"But we don't want health care consumers to be slugged with additional costs when there are other more complex and more intricate arguments [to be had on] how we can best move forward on that sustainability footing."

He says co-payments will fail to generate cost savings for the health system, delay treatments and reduce access to health care for Australians.

"People who are older, people on pensions in particular, are those that consider the financial outlay more seriously," he said.

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Australians pay more for health care than France, UK, report says, amid Medicare co-payment debate