Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health and Aged Care. Will the minister please outline to the House how the Morrison government is supporting access to new medicines and treatments under Medicare?

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to thank the member for Lindsay. One of the very first things which she did after becoming a member of this place was to hold a mental health forum in her electorate, which I was privileged to join. That focus on mental health is included very squarely and fairly in this budget. In particular, we have increased our total Medicare expenditure—via the work of the Treasurer, the Prime Minister and the ERC—by $6 billion over the course of the forward estimates. From inheriting a spend of about $19 billion, Medicare will grow to $30 billion, $31 billion, $32 billion and $33 billion a year over the course of the forward estimates. This budget specifically includes $711 million for new Medicare items, including $288 million particularly for mental health. A focus on severe depression, through TMS treatment being made available for the first time under Medicare in Australia, will give many Australians with severe depression access to a treatment which will be fundamental, which has been considered and approved as being safe and effective. That's an enormous step forward. At the same time, we see critical new procedures, such as aortic procedures for infants, which were not previously listed. As the science evolves, the schedule is updated and these new items are brought forward—wonderful, potentially life-saving procedures which are being included for the first time.

At the same time, we've also been able to invest very significantly in new medicines. We know, of course, that in 2011 there was a pause to the listing of new medicines. That's not something that's ever happened under us. We are committed to the listing of every medicine which the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee recommends. In this budget, we have done that again. There is $43 billion for new medicines under the PBS and existing medicines as we go forward. There have been over 2,600 medicines listed to date, and, in particular, I am delighted that we've been able to list Emgality for chronic migraine. This is a medicine which will make a difference to thousands of Australians every year, saving thousands of dollars for those Australians. We see an increase of $6 billion for Medicare, including the extension of telehealth, which has now reached 60 million telehealth items. We also see the expansion of new treatments for mental health and then the provision of new medicines for migraines. All of these things are making a fundamental difference. And bulk-billing has soared to record levels of 88.7 per cent.

Mark Butler (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House of Representatives) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Acting Prime Minister. Can the Acting Prime Minister guarantee that no patient costs will rise as a result of the government's changes to the Medicare Benefits Schedule on 1 July?

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I will ask the Minister for Health and Aged Care to add to my remarks, but we are medi-friends; over there, they're medi-frauds. Indeed, you just heard the minister for health talking about the bulk-billing rates—that certainly is prevalent in regional Australia—and the number of telehealth consultations: 60 million telehealth consultations. We are getting on with providing the assistance, the support and the boost in funding to Medicare, as you would expect, and, indeed, to the overall health system. We will always support health, we will always put record funding into health, whereas those opposite just run a Twitter campaign and a social media campaign to drag it down. I'll ask the Minister for Health to add to my remarks.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm very pleased to provide information for the member opposite. Medicare investment in new items is going up by $711 million in this budget. What that means is that we are seeing an increase. There should be no case for any increase for any patients anywhere in Australia in terms of their out-of-pocket costs. What we've actually seen in terms of out-of-pockets is an increase of 6.7 per cent in the bulk-billing rate, which means we've gone from 82 per cent of patients paying nothing to visit the GP under Labor to 88.7 per cent under us—

Mr Conroy interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Shortland will leave under standing order 94(a).

The member for Shortland then left the chamber.

The minister will continue.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That is a 6.7 per cent increase in the number of patients who are able to visit the doctor without having to pay. What that means is that we see an increase in the number of bulk-billed procedures, an increase in the level of bulk-billing. Critically, what we see as part of this is that there are multiple increases right across the Medicare schedule—new and amended items, increased items, all of these things that are occurring. What we have done is follow the advice of the doctors and the medical expert panels.

There is one important difference here between the two sides. When the member for Hindmarsh was the minister in this space, what we saw was a $580 million cut to mental health under Medicare. They slashed it—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will resume his seat for a second. It was a very specific question. He has been relevant to it up till now, but he wasn't asked about any alternative policies and there is not an opportunity for commentary in that regard in answer to this question. The minister has the call.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will resume his seat. The member for Macarthur on a point of order?

Mike Freelander (Macarthur, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My point of order is on relevance. The minister is not in any way answering the question.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member will resume his seat. It is unfortunate timing on the point of order, because I've just ruled that the minister had been relevant up until that point. Unless the member for Macarthur found something particularly offensive about the three words the minister got out before he jumped—I led with my chin, then!—I call the minister.

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. We have seen an increase of $711 million in new Medicare items and an increase of $6 billion in Medicare expenditure over the forward estimates. As the Acting Prime Minister said, we are medi-friends and ultimately they are medi-frauds.