Jo Briskey (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am thrilled to again be contributing in this place on our Labor government's commitment to Medicare. Medicare and universal access to health care is core to who we are as a Labor government. This legislation, the Health Legislation Amendment (Miscellaneous Measures No. 1) Bill 2025, is another important step in ensuring Medicare remains strong, accessible and ready for the future. It will help us deliver more bulk-billing, faster access to doctors, simpler billing systems and fairer treatment for medical graduates and overseas-trained practitioners, all so that Australians can get the care that they need when they need it and while only needing their Medicare card.

Medicare is who we are as a country. It's one of our nation's greatest achievements, built on our Australian values of fairness, equity and compassion. It's why our government is determined to strengthen Medicare, to make it easier and affordable to see your doctor, to support our healthcare workforce and to keep bulk-billing strong across every part of our community. This legislation makes important practical changes across the health system to help deliver a stronger Medicare, including more bulk-billing, faster access to provider numbers and better systems that will help doctors spend less time on paperwork and more time with their patients. This bill is a key part of the Albanese Labor government's ongoing commitment to not just strengthen Medicare but safeguard it now and into the future.

After a decade of coalition neglect and frozen rebates resulting in a rapid decline in bulk-billing and a healthcare workforce stretched to breaking point, Labor is doing the work to fix it, building a stronger, fairer and more modern Medicare. One of the most important parts of this bill tackles one of the biggest barriers that affect our healthcare workforce: the slow processing of Medicare provider numbers. When a new doctor, including an overseas trained practitioner, seeks to practise under Medicare, they have to apply for a Medicare provider number. It's a process that's still partly manual, often slow and frustratingly bureaucratic. The Kruk review found that overseas trained doctors can wait up to three months for a provider number to start work. These delays result in months of lost care for patients, and in some areas clinics struggle to keep up with demand.

This bill fixes that. It implements recommendation 2 of the independent Kruk review into Australia's regulatory settings for overseas health practitioners: to automate and streamline the issuing of provider numbers. Under these changes, the Chief Executive Medicare will be able to approve computer programs to automatically issue Medicare provider numbers for straightforward non-discretionary cases. That means that, when a practitioner meets all the eligibility criteria, their provider number can be issued quickly, efficiently and without unnecessary human delay. Importantly, any refusals or complex cases will still be reviewed by a human officer, ensuring accountability and fairness. We'll also validate all provider numbers previously issued by automated systems so there's legal certainty and no risk to practitioners who've already been approved.

In my local community, these changes mean doctors joining busy practices in Essendon, Moonee Ponds and Keilor East can start seeing patients sooner, reducing wait times and keeping care close to home. Just under a quarter of my electorate are aged over 65, a group that naturally requires more frequent access to health care as they age. These reforms will make a real difference for them, as well as for busy young families and students balancing study and part-time work, by giving everyone faster, easier access to the care that they need. By streamlining approvals and boosting bulk-billing, this bill helps local clinics operate more efficiently and focus on what matters: their patients. It means more appointments, more services and better care for every family across my community and right across Australia. This reform brings Medicare into the digital age and makes the system more efficient.

Simpler, faster and more reliable—that is what this legislation seeks to achieve by modernising the way private health insurance rebates are processed. Private health insurance plays an important role in supporting Australia's universal healthcare system. It gives Australians more choice and flexibility, helping people access the elective surgeries, specialist care and hospital services they need while reducing pressure on our public hospitals. At the same time, it works hand in hand with Medicare, ensuring that everyone continues to have access to essential care regardless of income. Every year, the Australian government reimburses insurers over $7 billion to ensure the private health insurance rebate is applied fairly and accurately to consumers' premiums. This rebate helps to keep private health insurance affordable for millions of Australians. When we came to government, we inherited a system that was inconsistent, error prone and woefully outdated. That is why we are seeking to modernise it.

This bill aligns registration with Services Australia systems, introduces self-assessment for insurers, ensures overpayments can be recovered even if errors occur, and allows computer assisted decision-making and the approval of forms by the Chief Executive Medicare. This legislation provides reassurance for local families in Maribyrnong, from young couples taking out their first policy to older residents managing chronic conditions. It's about ensuring that private health insurance remains affordable, reliable and accessible, giving people peace of mind that they can access the services they need. By streamlining the rebate process and improving efficiency of claims, the bill ensures that all insurers can pass on these benefits directly to their policyholders, reducing out-of-pocket costs and making coverage more predictable.

These reforms go beyond the technical fixes. They're about delivering real benefits for working people, reducing stress and ensuring Australians can get what they are entitled to under the law. That is what good government does. It identifies problems, consults experts and implements smart legislative fixes, rather than ignoring problems for years and leaving billions of dollars in rebate payments vulnerable to error or inconsistency.

Another key part of this bill is how Medicare benefits are assigned under bulk-billing and simplified billing. Right now, patients assign their Medicare benefit to their doctor, who then receives the rebate from the government. It's a system that has worked for decades, but it still relies on old paper based processes that can slow things down. Earlier this year, the Health Insurance Legislation Amendment (Assignment of Medicare Benefits) Act 2024 laid the groundwork for digital assignment, making it faster and easier for doctors and patients alike. But before we flip the switch, we need to make sure Medicare practices, software providers and Services Australia are ready. That's why this bill delays the start of the new rules until 1 July 2026. This is a responsible move, giving everyone time to prepare, avoiding disruption, protecting patients ability to bulk-bill and making sure bulk-billing software works smoothly.

While we get ready for the digital future, Labor is investing today. Our $7.9 billion bulk-billing initiative, kicking off in November, will mean local GPs can see more patients, help more families and keep costs down. Just last week, I welcomed the health minister, Mark Butler, to Maribyrnong to visit the Moonee Ponds Super Clinic in Hall Street. We spoke with the practice manager and local doctors about what these new changes will mean on the ground. They told us how the government 's new bulk-billing incentives will help them see more patients, keep their doors open for longer and make sure that cost is never a barrier to care. They confirmed they will be moving to become a full bulk-billing service because of our initiative.

You can feel the difference this investment will make, not just for the clinics but for families right across my electorate. In Maribyrnong, around 27 per cent of people live with a long-term health condition that requires regular care and support. That's more than one in four people who rely on strong, accessible primary health care; people managing diabetes, heart conditions, asthma and other chronic illnesses who can't avoid delays or high out-of-pocket costs. That is why we're strengthening Medicare and that's why it matters so deeply to communities like mine. Your health is personal and looking after it can be stressful. The last thing anyone needs is a system that makes it harder to get the help that they need. Whether it's at the Moonee Ponds Super Clinic or your local GP practices, across Kensington through to Gladstone Park, this is about making Medicare work for everyone. Faster claims, fairer systems and less time on paperwork.

Schedule 4 reforms the Bonded Medical Program, ensuring fairness while keeping communities covered. The coalition imposed a six-year Medicare ban for doctors who failed to meet their obligations. Not only was this harsh and unfair, but it was also counterproductive. That policy risked depriving regional, rural and outer suburban communities of critical health services. Once again, Labor is fixing their mess.

This bill delivers three key changes that make the Bonded Medical Program fairer, more flexible and more effective. Under the old system, if a doctor could not finish their service obligation, they were punished twice: forced to repay their scholarship and then banned from billing Medicare for six years. It was harsh, it was unfair and it made no sense. That ban didn't just hurt the doctor; it hurt Australians as it meant fewer bulk-billing services were available. By removing that blunt penalty, we're keeping fairness and accountability in place without cutting our communities off from the care they need.

Many bonded doctors have already spent years working in our rural, regional and outer metropolitan communities, yet, under the old rules, that effort often did not count toward their obligations. This bill changes that. It ensures that the work done in the spirit of the program is properly recognised.

We know medical training is demanding and personal circumstances can change. Extending the grace period gives students more time to decide whether the program is right for them, supporting a smoother transition into the workforce and reducing unnecessary stress during study. This flexibility helps us attract more students into medicine, especially those who want to give back to their communities without trapping them in unfair or unrealistic conditions.

These reforms also send a clear message to doctors and healthcare workers: your contribution is valued, and we recognise the hard work you do. By removing punitive barriers and providing fairer conditions, the program encourages more young doctors to enter the workforce and consider service in areas that need it the most. It helps retain skilled practitioners, reduces burnout and ensures our health system is staffed with dedicated professionals who can provide the high-quality care every Australian deserves.

Labor understands that the strength of our healthcare system depends on the people who keep it running. Our doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and the support staff who show up every day for the communities they serve. Strengthening the workforce today means stronger, more reliable health care for communities tomorrow. The Bonded Medical Program is about building a pipeline of skilled and passionate doctors across the country, from our biggest cities to our smallest towns. It incentivises service in areas of need, supports workforce planning and ensures that every Australian, no matter where they live, can see a doctor when they need to.

What this bill shows is Labor in action, delivering reforms that build our promise to strengthen Medicare: faster onboarding of doctors; stronger support for private health insurance and rebates; modern, digital, simplified bulk-billing processes; and fairer rules for bonded medical graduates. For a decade, those opposite were focused more on the culture wars than on keeping our healthcare system running. When it comes to Medicare, they don't see green and gold; they see stars and stripes. They see Medicare American style: no bulk-billing, harsh penalties for healthcare workers and Australians paying more for the treatment they need. We are determined to fix their mistakes and keep our promise to strengthen Medicare for all Australians.

This bill makes our system fairer, more efficient and more reliable, ensuring Australians can access care when they need it. Australians voted for a Labor government that invests in them, invests in people, solves problems and delivers results. This bill does just that by strengthening the backbone of our health system and ensuring it keeps pace with the world around it. Automation provider numbers will get doctors working faster. Reform of private health rebate systems will protect taxpayers and patients alike. Modernising bulk-billing processes will make it easier for clinics and ensure digital integrity. Improving the Bonded Medical Program will keep more doctors where they're needed most. These are practical, forward-looking reforms, part of labour's broader agenda to rebuild Medicare after years of neglect. For the people of Maribyrnong, this means seeing a doctor sooner, fast approvals for new providers and strong bulk-billing at the local clinics across Keilor East, Tullamarine and Avondale Heights. It means fewer delays, more certainty and a fairer health system that puts patients first.

Medicare isn't just a policy; it's a promise—a promise that, no matter who you are or where you live, you will be able to get health care that you need without going broke doing it. I commend the bill to the House.

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