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

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator McAllister. According to an article published today in the Herald Sun, only 13 per cent of metropolitan GP clinics will bulk-bill under the government's new program. That means the vast majority of patients in metropolitan areas will continue to face rising out-of-pocket costs, currently at an average of $49.14. How does this achieve the Prime Minister's promise to all Australians, made on at least 71 occasions, that they can see a GP for free?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am very pleased to be asked about the historic investment that our government is making to repair the damage inflicted on Medicare and inflicted on bulk-billing by those opposite during the long period where they froze the rebates available to doctors and saw the rate of bulk-billing in freefall. It is simply true that, at the time of your government, bulk-billing rates, according to the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, were in freefall.

Jane Hume (Victoria, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They were at 88 per cent!

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The numbers cited by Senator Hume were cooked up by relying on the bulk-billing rates that were produced by COVID. In fact, it had never been harder to see a doctor, and it is on that basis that we are making the investment we are making.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ruston?

Anne Ruston (SA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

President, on a point of order on relevance, I don't believe that Senator Askew was asking about anything that the minister is actually contributing at the moment. Could you maybe draw her back to the questions around bulk-billing? It was a specific question about out-of-pocket costs on bulk-billing, not something that happened historically.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister is being relevant to the question. Minister, did you wish to continue? The minister has completed her answer. Senator Askew, first supplementary?

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

Minister, according to health department officials, the current, average out-of-pocket cost for a GP appointment is $49.14 and will continue to go up. However, the Prime Minister continues to tell all Australians that they can see a GP for free. Is the Prime Minister wrong, or is the health department?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We are determined to lift rates of bulk-billing. That is why we are making these investments, and we are very pleased that, already, over a thousand practices that were previously mixed-billing have indicated that they are interested in becoming fully bulk-billing practices. What that means is that more Australians will be able to see a doctor for free.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Askew, second supplementary?

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

The Prime Minister continues to tell all Australians that they can see a GP for free. If that is true, when will the average GP out-of-pocket cost be down to zero dollars?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you again for the question. I can only restate our intention, which is this: we want more Australians to see a doctor for free. That is the promise of universal health care. That is the promise that Australians voted for when they voted for our government, and it is on that basis that we are making the largest single investment in Medicare since the inception of that program—and it is all to repair the damage that was done by the government that you supported and that many of you were part of.