Tom French (Moore, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in support of the Health Legislation Amendment (Improved Medicare Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2025. This bill is about fairness, trust and the future of Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. It is about making sure these pillars of our health system remain strong, sustainable and accessible for every Australian. In this country, health care cannot be treated as a privilege. It cannot be reduced to a commodity, rationed or auctioned to the highest bidder. It must remain a right guaranteed to all. That is why, when people in my electorate of Moore visit a pharmacy or a GP, they should be able to count on certainty—certainty that (1) the cost will be affordable and that (2) the system is fair, rigorous and sustainable.

Cost-of-living pressures are real, and health expenses are often the silent burden within the household budget. When families skip medicines or delay care, the risks are not abstract. They are real and they are long-lasting. This bill helps lift that burden and remove those impossible choices. Our task is clear. We must strengthen Medicare, the PBS and their integrity so that every public dollar reaches the patients it was intended for. That is the clear purpose of this bill.

Labor built Medicare, and Labor built the PBS. And, every time Labor has been in government, we have worked to reinforce and expand these foundations. This bill continues that tradition with focus and determination. In government, we have delivered cheaper medicines, stronger bulk-billing incentives and Medicare urgent care clinics to provide timely walk-in care for urgent but non-life-threatening needs. We have also increased Medicare rebates after years of neglect. This bill builds upon that record of reform. It advances integrity, access and accountability, the three elements that sustain public confidence. It targets fraud, error and waste while backing the overwhelming majority of providers who act with honesty and professionalism. Above all, it ensures patients remain at the centre of the system.

The bill reduces the timeframe for bulk-billed claims from two years to one year, tightening oversight and improving integrity. Integrity delayed, after all, is integrity denied. A shorter window means faster reconciliation and earlier detection of abnormalities. Honest providers benefit from certainty and clear expectations while those who exploit the system lose the opportunity to rort. Regulators, in turn, gain sharper tools to detect and pursue misconduct. That is not bureaucracy for its own sake. It is targeted, intelligence led compliance. Proportionality remains central. The framework educates where mistakes are inadvertent, escalates when behaviour is reckless and imposes firm consequences when fraud is deliberate. That balance is what builds trust in the system.

Faster, clearer processes mean more timely access to care for patients in Beldon, Currambine and Edgewater. Red tape should never become a barrier at the front door of health care. When approvals are delivered on time, pharmacies can plan, invest and hire with confidence. They can expand services like dose administration aids, home delivery and extended hours. This is reform with practical results. When public funds flow back into patient care, communities in suburbs like Hillarys, Sorrento and North Beach see the benefits. Every dollar returned is a dollar available for medicines and services. This is not punishment for its own sake; it is fairness to taxpayers and providers who do the right thing every day. Integrity is what preserves confidence in Medicare.

This bill supports broader reforms to protect young people in suburbs like Woodvale and Watermans Bay from the health risks of today becoming the chronic diseases of tomorrow. Prevention now avoids heavier costs later. Integrity is not just a slogan. It is the oxygen of Medicare and the PBS. When people present a Medicare card or a prescription, they must trust the price, the rules and the system itself. Reviews have shown there is significant leakage from noncompliance and fraud in health funding. That is money not reaching patients in suburbs like Iluka, Marmion and Sorrento in my electorate. This bill responds directly to that challenge. It creates guardrails to ensure the system works as intended. It supports the majority who comply and identifies the small minority who do not. That is how integrity must operate.

Let me turn to Medicare urgent care clinics. Across Australia, these clinics offer extended hours, walk-in care and no out-of-pocket expenses for urgent, but non-life-threatening, issues. They relieve pressure on emergency departments while keeping care close to home. A child's deep cut, a sprain or an ear infection may be urgent, but it is not an emergency. Urgent care clinics treat these needs quickly, safely and affordably. Hospitals are then free to focus on strokes, heart attacks and serious trauma. That is reform rooted in common sense and proven in practice. It is Medicare doing what it does best: delivering care when and where it is needed most.

Turning to primary care, strengthening bulk-billing is vital for children, pensioners and concession card holders. It supports access, continuity and better outcomes that flow from consistent care. A fair and efficient PBS keeps people well and working. It reduces avoidable hospital admissions, and it helps families manage their household budgets with greater certainty.

Data driven stewardship is another strength of this bill. Earlier identification of unusual patterns allows correction, education and enforcement before harm spreads. That protects patients, providers and taxpayers alike. This is not about 'gotcha' enforcement. It is about guardrails, clarity and predictable rules, and public confidence demands nothing less. The principle here is simple: care first, cost fair.

Affordable medicine, supported GPs and pharmacists, convenient urgent care and honour systems create compounding benefits. That is how we build a healthier society, in Moore and nationwide. Prevention, too, saves lives and dollars. Immunisation, screening and risk factor management all reduce illness and hospital use. A stronger Medicare and a fairer PBS make prevention achievable for everyone. Health spending is not a sunk cost. It is an investment. Its return is measured in hospital bed days avoided, productivity preserved and dignity protected. This bill strengthens that return.

Integrity also means clarity for providers. Compliance should be predictable, proportionate and transparent. The system should reward good practice and correct honest mistakes. By tightening claim timeframes and modernising investigations, the bill removes grey areas. It sets expectations that providers can clearly understand and meet. That is good governance. Technology and data, when applied properly, are allies of patient safety and value for money. Reliable data enables benchmarking and smarter targeting of education and enforcement. Secure, connected systems reduce duplication and errors.

Community pharmacies remain a cornerstone of access. Transparent, timely approvals help them align staffing, invest in services and support patients with complex needs. Stronger pharmacies make for stronger communities.

This bill strikes the right balance. It educates and corrects where appropriate, escalates when necessary and applies firm penalties for deliberate misconduct. In doing so, it protects patients while respecting professional autonomy. I know firsthand what the PBS means. In 2009, I was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, and, in 2020, I received a kidney transplant from my brother. Immunosuppressant medicines keep that gift safe, and the PBS keeps them affordable. Without those medicines, a transplant is at risk. Without affordability, adherence is at risk. The PBS turns a medical miracle into a sustained reality. That is why affordable medicines are not an abstract policy to me; they are a lifeline for Australians managing serious illness. This bill helps protect that lifeline by strengthening integrity and access.

In Moore, the benefits of cheaper medicines and stronger Medicare are felt daily. Every affordable prescription helps control chronic conditions. Every bulk-billed consultation supports early treatment and prevention. Urgent care that is convenient and free keeps people healthy and productive. It also preserves hospital capacity for emergencies, and it strengthens confidence in our local health services. This bill supports patients and providers together. Clear rules and fair processes ease the compliance load for those doing the right thing. Shorter claim windows reduce administrative tail risks. They encourage accurate billing at the point of care. They help detect anomalies quickly. Modern investigative powers allow proportionate responses. Most errors can be corrected through education, but serious misconduct demands firm consequences. Streamlined pharmacy approvals mean real-world improvements in access. Families can obtain timely medicines without unnecessary delay. Communities retain the services they depend upon, and efficient debt recovery returns money directly to patient care. That ensures fairness to contributors and compliance with community standards. It also sends a clear signal that public funds are stewarded responsibly.

Vaping and tobacco reforms are another essential step. Protecting young people today prevents the chronic diseases of tomorrow. This bill complements those efforts with a coherent package of reforms. Together, they align incentives, clarify responsibilities and deliver better outcomes. They are built on evidence, consultation and practical experience. The design of the bill respects clinical judgement. It sets system rules without intruding into the consult room. That balance ensures care remains patient-centred. Medicare and the PBS are social compacts. We fund them collectively because illness does not discriminate. We maintain them carefully because public trust sustains them. For households, affordability means dignity. It is the difference between adherence and risk. It is the reassurance that care is within reach. For the health workforce, clarity means respect. Clear and consistent rules honour professional effort. They allow clinicians to spend time where it matters: with the patients. For governments, integrity means stewardship. Every dollar must reach the front line. Leakage must be found and fixed.

This bill advances all three principles: dignity, respect and stewardship. It strengthens the social licence of Medicare. It keeps faith with the Australian public. This is Labor's enduring story in health. From foundations to modernisation, the path has always been forward. Each time Labor governs, health care is broadened, strengthened and secured. Whitlam laid the foundations. Hawke and Keating strengthened the PBS. Labor governments resisted efforts to impose higher co-payments.

Today, we deliver the largest investment in Medicare in decades and the lowest PBS co-payments in 20 years. The point is consistency of purpose. Fairness, dignity and security remain our compass, and this bill follows that compass faithfully. For families in Beldon, it means a child's inhaler without a trade-off at the checkout. For apprentices in Padbury, it means pain relief that does not jeopardise rent. For seniors in Kingsley and Duncraig, it means every script filled on time. For pharmacies in Joondalup, it means certainty to plan. For clinics across Moore, it means predictable settings that support quality care. For the system, it means integrity that is visible and reliable.

Every affordable script is a step away from an avoidable ambulance. Every bulk-billed visit frees a hospital bed. Every strong pharmacy anchors access in the community. These reforms are practical, balanced and targeted. They keep patients at the centre. They maintain the trust that makes Medicare work. This bill is not just words passed in Canberra; it is Medicare and the PBS doing their jobs. Australians expect a system that is fair, strong and sustainable. They expect governments to safeguard integrity and improve access. This bill meets those expectations. Its benefits will be seen in homes, workplaces and clinics. I commend this bill to the House, and I do so confident that it strengthens Medicare and the PBS as pillars of fairness, dignity and trust for all Australians.

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