Jodie Belyea (Dunkley, Australian Labor Party) | Hansard source

This is an important piece of legislation that strengthens the foundations of Medicare and supports the delivery of affordable, accessible and high-quality health care for Australians. At its heart, the legislation is about ensuring that programs we use to support primary care providers have a clear legislative framework, strong accountability and the integrity needed to continue delivering for Australians— (Quorum formed)

The Albanese Labor government has made no secret of its commitment to strengthening Medicare. We came to government with a clear understanding that Medicare is one of Australia's greatest achievements. It reflects our value, as a nation, that every Australian should be able to access health care when they need it, regardless of their income, their postcode or their circumstances.

But we also recognised that Medicare had been under significant pressure. Australians were finding it harder to access bulk-billing services, general practices were struggling with rising costs and families were increasingly worried about the cost of seeing a doctor. That is why our government has delivered the single largest investment in Medicare's history. Our record $8.5 billion investment is strengthening Medicare, supporting patients, training more doctors and nurses, and helping more Australians so that they can access affordable care close to home.

The proposed legislation before the House today, the Health Legislation Amendment (Improving Choice and Transparency for Private Health Consumers) Bill 2026, complements that investment. Primary care incentive programs are a vital part of how governments support the delivery of health care. They encourage best practice, improve access to services and provide financial support to the doctors, nurses and practices that Australians rely upon every day. Programs such as the Medicare Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program are already helping to make health care more affordable for millions of Australians.

However, these programs have not always had the clear legislative foundations necessary to support their long-term administration and integrity. This legislation addresses that issue. It establishes a clear framework for Commonwealth primary care incentive payment programs, ensuring they can be administered effectively, transparently and responsibly. It provides strong mechanisms to protect public funds, enforce compliance and maintain the integrity of programs that support healthcare delivery across the country. Importantly, it also provides a framework that can support future primary care initiatives as Australia's health system continues to evolve. This is sensible legislation, this is practical legislation and it's legislation that supports the broader objective of ensuring Medicare remains strong for generations to come.

The importance of strengthening Medicare is something I hear about regularly in my electorate. Whether I'm speaking with families in Frankston, meeting with seniors in Seaford, talking to young parents in Carrum Downs or chatting with local residents at community events across the electorate, accessible, affordable health care is always a priority and welcomed. People want to know they can see a doctor when they need one. They want to know that costs will not be a barrier to receiving care, and they want confidence that Medicare will continue to be there for them and their families. That is exactly why the Albanese Labor government's investment in Medicare matters.

We are already seeing results. On 1 November, the government expanded the general practice bulk-billing incentive to all Australians and began providing practices with an additional 12.5 per cent incentive payment if they bulk-bill all of their patients all of the time. This was a major reform. It sent a clear message to general practices that we value bulk-billing and that we are prepared to invest in it, and the results are already becoming clear. The latest quarterly bill data shows that the national GP bulk-billing rate was 81.9 per cent for the January to March quarter. On that note, I would like to conclude. Thank you.

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