Fiona Phillips (Gilmore, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

On Friday I met with Dr Eva Morris and her husband and practice manager, Jason Morris, at the St Georges Basin Medical Centre, who jumped at the chance to register for the Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program. Dr Morris said they took up the incentive because it's good for their business and good for their patients. They want to make a difference in their community, and they want to help their patients, including older patients, many with multiple health conditions, and young families, who are feeling the cost-of-living pinch. They're also helping to train new doctors in the region, which is fantastic.

The St Georges Basin Medical Centre is one of 32 medical practices across Gilmore that have transitioned to fully bulk-billing all patients. I'm so pleased that, since the bulk-billing incentive program came into effect, on 1 November, the number of fully bulk-billing medical practices in my electorate has almost tripled. This is an absolute game changer for local patients, who now have improved access to the health care they need with just their Medicare card, not their credit card.

Delivering on this election commitment is a massive help for families living in the smaller towns and villages in my electorate. Doctors in places like Gerringong, Shoalhaven Heads, Culburra Beach, Callala Bay and Sussex Inlet are now fully bulk-billing. People can now see a doctor for free at fully bulk-billed practices in the villages of Mollymook, Surf Beach and Broulee and in the major towns of Nowra, Moruya and Ulladulla. I know this important cost-of-living measure is helping struggling families and older people in my region and right across the country, thanks to the Albanese Labor government's single-largest investment in Medicare since its creation more than 40 years ago. From 1 January this year, we've introduced a whole gamut of health services that are saving the hip pocket and, importantly, saving lives around the nation.

We're ensuring Australians can access the medicines they need at an affordable price, with PBS scripts now capped at $25, or just $7.70 for those who hold a concession card. Without the PBS, Australian patients would pay thousands of dollars for life-saving medicines. Instead, $25 PBS scripts will save Australians more than $200 million each year.

We're adding more life-saving and disease-preventing medicines to the PBS every month to help men, women and children. Just last week, Andriga-10 was added to the PBS to provide life-changing help for men with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. Without the PBS, patients might pay $930 per script. Since July 2022 we've approved extra funding for 399 new and amended listings on the PBS. As a woman and a mum, I know just how much we're helping women and their families by subsidising the cost of contraceptive pills, hormone therapies for menopause, and medicines for endometriosis. In just one year, more than 610,000 Australian women have saved money since essential women's health medications were listed on the PBS as part of our landmark $792.9 million women's health package. From 1 January, Australians have had even better access to free health advice, with the 1800MEDICARE telehealth service, website and mobile app. The new Medicare Mental Health Check In also went live on New Year's Day, giving easy and free access to early support for Australians experiencing mild mental health challenges.

Of course, we're opening more Medicare urgent care clinics in every corner of the country, and I'm proud to say the Batemans Bay Urgent Care Clinic is going great guns and is operating 18 hours a day. I know my community cannot wait for the doors to open on the new Medicare urgent care clinic in Nowra very soon, which will take pressure off Shoalhaven Hospital's emergency department.

Our investment in Medicare is already having a massive impact in my electorate, which is home to one of the highest populations of aged pensioners in the country. We also have many young families and low-income earners who are reaping the benefits of a better, fairer and stronger health system that the Albanese Labor government promised and that we are delivering.

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