Anne Ruston SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care
2:55 pm
My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Farrell. Last week the government's bulk-billing measure came into effect as bulk-billing rates have plummeted every month since you have been in government to the lowest level since 2013. This week it was reported that Dr Gihan de Mel, a member of the Monash Health GP Advisory Committee, has written to the health minister about the measure saying:
… it's essential to recognise that the vast majority of the population will not directly benefit from this.
Minister, how many Australians does the government believe will directly benefit from this measure and not the number who will be eligible?
Don Farrell SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism
2:56 pm
I thank Senator Ruston for her question. You can't automatically or immediately fix the problems that we inherited from your government, particularly from your time in this portfolio, Senator Ruston. But we have started—
Anne Ruston SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care
I thought the minister might like to correct that. I have never held the health portfolio.
Don Farrell SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism
We can't overnight fix the problems that your government caused after nine years of neglect of Medicare. But we are starting the process of rebuilding the Medicare system, in particular the bulk-billing system. I reject the implication in your question that ordinary Australians are not benefitting by these changes because the reality is that ordinary Australians will benefit by what we are doing.
Anne Ruston SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care
Point of order on relevance: it was quite a simple question, and that was the number of people who will benefit from this measure—not the number of people who are eligible, the number of people who will benefit.
Sue Lines President
There was also a quote, and you referenced 13 years and Medicare bulk-billing, which the minister is entitled to address.
Don Farrell SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism
The centrepiece of our budget in the recent incentives we have introduced was the tripling of the bulk-billing incentive, the largest increase in the incentive in the 40-year history of Medicare. We are going to do what you failed to do; we are going to rebuild the system. If we could click our fingers and fix the system overnight, we would, but unfortunately we can't. This is going to take some time because you and your government did so much damage to the system for so long. We are going to fix it.
Anne Ruston SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care
2:59 pm
Minister, what is the average cost to Australians right now for a standard GP consult, what is the Medicare rebate of that consult and what is the average out-of-pocket expense?
Don Farrell SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism
What we know about your legacy in this portfolio, as a former government, is that you neglected primary care and froze the Medicare rebate for six years. Whatever the figures might be at the present point of time, they're coming after your government froze the Medicare rebate for six years.
Sue Lines President
Minister Farrell, please resume your seat. Senator Ruston?
Anne Ruston SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care
I have a point of order on misleading the Senate. It was not the coalition government that froze the Medicare—
Sue Lines President
That is not a point of order. Minister, please continue.
Don Farrell SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism
You froze the—
Sue Lines President
Minister Farrell, please resume your seat. Senator Ruston?
Anne Ruston SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care
Chair, I would ask you to draw the minister's attention to the fact that he is misleading the Senate.
Sue Lines President
That's exactly the same you point you just jumped on. I said it was not a point of order and that it's a debating point. I invite you to make a contribution later.
Don Farrell SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism
I'll make another point, then, about your record in this space if don't like that point. The former government neglected primary care and misled—
Gerard Rennick Queensland, Liberal Party
I raise a point of order on direct relevance. He's not answering the question. The cost of seeing a doctor has gone from $80 to $100.
Sue Lines President
The question went to rebates and the minister is being relevant.
Don Farrell SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism
The other side just love asking me questions and then answering them themselves. I do wonder, if they know the answer already, why— (Time expired)
Anne Ruston SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care
3:01 pm
Despite the rising the cost of visiting a GP and plummeting bulk-billing, your government has refused to state that the aim of this measure—that is, the tripling of bulk-billing—is to increase the rate of bulk-billing by GP appointments in Australia. Minister, can you guarantee that the rate of bulk-billed GP appointments will increase as a result of the measure that was introduced on 1 November, and by how much?
Don Farrell SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Trade and Tourism
3:02 pm
I thank Senator Ruston for her second supplementary question. Yes.
Penny Wong SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs
I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.