Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) | Hansard source

I'm really pleased to stand here today to report to the House that we've had another jump in bulk-billing in the Bendigo electorate since we last met. We now have the second-highest bulk-billing rate in the nation. I'm really proud to stand here today to say that we are up from a 68 per cent bulk-billing rate to an 89 per cent bulk-billing rate in just the few years since our record investment in Medicare. During the break, we saw the opening of our 39th 100 per cent bulk-billing clinic. Under Labor's reforms, we don't just have more clinics transferring to bulk-billing and being 100 per cent bulk-billing; we have new clinics opening, welcoming patients. These are clinics that are also opening on weekends. We are back to bulk-billing visits on weekends, which is taking pressure off our EDs and taking pressure off our UCCs.

This is the investment that Labor has made. We are seeing our bulk-billing rates turning around and knocking out that cost. No-one should be denied health care because they don't have the funds to pay gap fees. We are seeing that in my electorate with an 89 per cent bulk-billing rate, up from 68 per cent. We are at 39 clinics and counting. That is what our investment is doing for bulk-billing in the regions.

See this speech in context