Wendy Askew (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

At the request of Senator Canavan, I move:

That the following matter be referred to the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee for inquiry and report by 30 June 2026:

The Government's changes to rural, regional and remote Medicare access and funding, with particular reference to:

(a) the impact of the 1 November 2025 Medicare changes on access to primary care, including telehealth, for rural, regional and remote Australians;

(b) the financial sustainability of independently owned rural general practices under current Medicare funding and incentive structures;

(c) the extent to which current Medicare settings contribute to avoidable emergency presentations and preventable hospital admissions in rural, regional and remote areas;

(d) the adequacy of Medicare support for the mixed-team models of care required in rural, regional and remote communities, including the roles of general practitioners, nurse practitioners, nurses, allied health professionals and visiting specialists;

(e) the impacts of current Medicare rules and incentive arrangements on large corporate providers compared with small, community-embedded rural clinics;

(f) reforms needed to ensure Medicare is fair, workable and sustainably funded for rural, regional and remote Australians, including the requirement for rural stress-testing of future changes; and

(g) any other related matters.

Question agreed to.