James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Shadow Special Minister of State) Share this | Hansard source

The Health Legislation Amendment (Improved Medicare Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2025 implements a number of public health measures intended to protect the integrity of Medicare, enhance the regulation of goods under the Therapeutic Goods Act and make minor amendments to the Public Health (Tobacco and Other Products) Act. This bill forms part of the response to the recommendations of the independent review of Medicare integrity and compliance undertaken by Dr Pradeep Philip.

The Philip review identified a range of issues that affect the effective administration of health benefits schemes, in particular, the power to detect, respond to, investigate, disclose and deter misconduct, fraud and noncompliance. As such, the bill seeks to address a range of issues that are inhibiting the ability of the department to conduct efficient, timely and effective compliance activities. We in the opposition also note that the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee reported back during the caretaker period on its inquiry into the provisions of the bill, advising that the bill should be passed. As such, the coalition supports the measures in this bill to strengthen the effective administration of Australia's important health benefits schemes.

We have a longstanding commitment to protecting the integrity of our health benefits schemes, such as Medicare and the PBS, and this bill is in line with that commitment. We have long championed the need for strong and fair compliance within Medicare and other critical programs like the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and the Child Dental Benefits Schedule. We believe that preserving the integrity of these systems is fundamental to delivering a sustainable and equitable healthcare system for all Australians.

However, while we support this bill and the improvements it delivers, we must also confront the broader and deeply concerning reality of Medicare under the Albanese Labor government. The government's own national accounts confirm the growing affordability crisis in our primary healthcare system. Yet what do we see from the Prime Minister? We see him waving his Medicare card around as a political prop, as a disingenuous stunt to distract from his failure to deliver affordable health care. This is not leadership; it's dishonesty, spin and a betrayal of the promises Labor made to Australians. The coalition believes every Australian deserves timely and affordable access to quality health care. That principle guided our approach in government, when we delivered record high bulk-billing rates, and it continues to guide us now in opposition.

We support the passage of this bill. It is an important step in strengthening compliance and improving integrity in our public health system. But let us be clear: this bill alone will not fix Medicare. It does not address the affordability crisis facing Australian families right now. The coalition will continue to scrutinise the government, and we will hold them to their promises on Medicare. We will continue to speak up for the millions of Australians who are currently paying the highest out-of-pocket costs on record when they get to the GP reception desk, because of this government's failures.

The coalition is incredibly concerned by the Albanese Labor government's disingenuous rhetoric about Medicare and by the current state of bulk-billing. Labor promised to strengthen Medicare, but it has only been weakened since they were elected. Medicare bulk-billing has fallen by 11 per cent under Labor. I'll repeat that: bulk-billing, under Labor, has fallen by 11 per cent. GP bulk-billing has fallen from 88 per cent to 77 per cent under the Albanese Labor government, and there have been 40 million fewer bulk-billed visits to the GP in the past year alone. Australians are now paying, from their own pocket, 45 per cent more of the cost to see a GP. Out-of-pocket costs have literally reached the highest on record. This data, from the government's own national accounts, shows that more Australians are having to use their credit card, along with their Medicare card, and they are being charged the highest amount of out-of-pocket costs on record. And yet it was the Labor Party who had the cheek, during the recent election campaign, to run another outrageous 'Mediscare' campaign when they are the ones who have been damaging the health system in Australia.

This is the sad reality of our healthcare system under Labor, and it forced more than 1.5 million Australians to avoid seeing their GP last year because they could not afford to see their doctor. This is the reality of the healthcare system in Australia under Labor. Instead of being honest with Australians about this concerning situation, Anthony Albanese continues to wave his Medicare card around as a stunt to try and distract Australians away from Labor's failures and his failures in the healthcare system. The Prime Minister is completely out of touch with the reality of the pressures that Australians are facing, including the rising unaffordability of health care over the past three years because of the actions of his Labor government. While the Prime Minister is focused on not telling the truth to Australians about Medicare, the coalition is focused on ensuring struggling families have timely and affordable access to a doctor.

During the recent election campaign, the Prime Minister continually failed to tell the truth about Medicare. The Prime Minister continually failed to tell the truth to Australians about the state of the healthcare system. He said, on numerous occasions, 'Under Labor, all you'll need is your Medicare card, not your credit card.' This is an untruth and is not the reality that Australians are facing, because of the actions of his government. The incoming-government brief from the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, released under freedom of information, estimates that a quarter of GP clinics across Australia will not bulk-bill despite all of the promises of the Albanese Labor government. So one in four doctor surgeries across the country will not be bulk-billing, despite the Prime Minister promising, during the recent campaign, while waving that Medicare card around, to ensure that all Australians will have access to a bulk-billing doctor.

This data from the health department shows that millions of Australians will still need their credit card as well as their Medicare card when they go to see a doctor, and the worst part is that their credit card is currently being charged the highest out-of-pocket costs on record under Labor. So, at a time when they can least afford it, Australians are forking out more than they ever have before from their own pocket to access essential health care. It is damning. It is appalling that this government is willing to lie to Australians about their access to health care. It is a damning indictment of the Prime Minister that he is refusing to tell the truth to Australians, even after the election campaign. During the election campaign, the Prime Minister led a disgraceful campaign, accusing the coalition of wanting to do all sorts of things to the health system when, in fact, it is due to the Prime Minister's negligence and the Labor Party government's negligence that bulk-billing rates have decreased and that Australians are being hit in their purses, their wallets and their pockets. It's because of the Labor government's failure to adequately manage our healthcare system. Clearly the Prime Minister would have known about the health department's data before he waved his Medicare card around, telling all Australians that they could visit their doctor for free. The coalition will be watching the situation closely to ensure the Prime Minister keeps the promises he made to the Australian public. All Australians deserve timely and affordable healthcare access, but Australians also deserve to have a prime minister who will tell the truth and not a prime minister who continues to tell mistruths and to spread misinformation about the coalition and a prime minister who is not facing up to the reality of the negligence and mismanagement of the healthcare system in Australia that has happened under his watch. The Prime Minister made a lot of promises at the last election and, indeed, at the 2022 election, and the coalition will be watching the situation to ensure that those promises are kept.

The department of health's advice in its incoming brief that indicated that nearly one four GP clinics are not likely to take up Labor's Medicare bulk-billing incentive is something that should be concerning to all Australians. It should be of real concern to the Prime Minister and his health minister because this calls into question Labor's claim that, by 2030, nine out of 10 visits to the GP will be free. Clearly on the information that is before the Senate and that is before the Australian people at the moment that is another promise that will not be kept by this Prime Minister. The Prime Minister needs to be honest with the Australian people. Was this advice provided to the government prior to the election and, if so, why was it not disclosed to the Australian people before the election?

The coalition has a very, very strong record on Medicare and a very, very strong record on health care. Funding to Medicare increased every single year under the former coalition government, from $18.6 billion under Labor in 2012-2013 to more than $30 billion in 2021-22. Medicare bulk-billing was higher under the coalition. Bulk-billing rose consistently across our entire term of government. It rose to 86 per cent before the pandemic and was at a record 88 per cent when we left government. In the coalition's last year, 167 million free GP services were delivered. That is 61 million more than under the previous Labor government.

The coalition also has a very strong record when it comes to supporting a strong PBS in Australia. In government, we made 2,900 new or amended listings on the PBS to expand access to cheaper medicines. In stark contrast, Labor have a very poor record on the PBS. Last time they were in government, they had to stop listing new medicines on the PBS because they just simply couldn't afford it and because they could not manage the nation's finances. They repeated history last term when they capped the number of new medicines that could be considered for listing on the PPS, creating unacceptable delays for patients whose lives could depend on them.

The coalition is also very focused on mental health and suicide prevention, unlike Labor, who have cut Medicare funding for mental health support in half. When Labor ripped away Medicare mental health sessions from 372,000 vulnerable Australians, they went against the advice of their own review and all of Australia's peak mental health experts. It has only gone backwards since this cruel cut. Data from the Productivity Commission shows that access to Medicare mental health support has fallen to the lowest point in at least 10 years at a time when we know demand is skyrocketing. Under Labor, mental health has been completely neglected. They have cut the number of Medicare subsidised mental health sessions in half and they have abolished the National Mental Health Commission. The chair of Mental Health Australia even resigned out of frustration because of the Prime Minister's neglect of mental health and because of the Prime Minister's refusal to meet with him.

The coalition will always defend Medicare and will always fund Medicare, unlike the Labor Party. We have seen bulk-billing reduce because of their mismanagement.