Basem Abdo (Calwell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health and Ageing. How is the Albanese Labor government delivering on our commitment to more Australians accessing bulk-billing? Why is it so important after a decade of cuts and neglect?

Mark Butler (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Calwell has, frankly, had too much contact with the healthcare system over the last 12 months. First of all the system was caring for his mum, and then for his wife Natascha and for their beautiful baby boy, Noah. Noah returned home on election day after a long stay in the neonatal unit in Northern Hospital. That was six months ago today, and we're delighted he's doing so well. The member told us in his first speech how much he cherishes Medicare as a son, as a husband and as a father, and I know how hard he's working to strengthen Medicare as a member of this parliament. Last week, fewer than 40 per cent of GP clinics in the member for Calwell's electorate bulk-billed all of their patients. In just a few days, that number has this week almost doubled to over 75 per cent. Today, three in four GP clinics in the member for Calwell's electorate are bulk-billing every single patient who comes through their door because of the record investment that kicked off, from our government, on Saturday.

When we came to government, bulk-billing was in freefall. That's not my description; that's the word that was used by the college of GPs—and it's no mystery why. After Peter Dutton froze the Medicare rebate for a couple of years, the current Leader of the Opposition as health minister not only locked in that freeze but extended it for four long years. Surprise, surprise: when you freeze the income of GPs, bulk-billing starts to come under pressure.

Well, we're turning that around. We are turning that around because, for Labor, bulk-billing is the beating heart of the Medicare system. It's a system that means Australians visit their GP when they need to, rather than when they feel they can finally afford to. Over three budgets now, this government led by this Prime Minister has steadily repaired the damage and the vandalism done to Medicare by the Liberal Party. We've delivered the three biggest overall increases to the Medicare rebate in the 30 years since Paul Keating was prime minister: number 1, number 2 and number 3. We tripled the bulk-billing incentive that doctors receive to bulk-bill pensioners, concession card holders and kids—which has turned the bulk-billing rate around for those 11 million Australians. It is back up to 92 per cent. And from this weekend, for the first time ever, we've extended bulk-billing support to every single Australian. Today, well over 1,000 general practices that last week were charging gap fees are this week bulk-billing every single patient that comes through their doors. That will grow every single day as we go about the hard work of delivering on our promise to strengthen Medicare.