Matt O'Sullivan (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator McAllister. The Prime Minister promised on more than 71 occasions that Australians would only need their Medicare card and it would be free to see a GP under Labor. But Australians have been telling us their real experience on the ground. Bec, from Kojonup in my home state of Western Australia, has told us: 'It costs me over $100 per visit to see the doctor, and I only get back $43 from Medicare.' It's certainly not free. She said, 'It costs me more than I get back.' Minister, when is Bec's out-of-pocket cost going to come 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 very much, and I am again very pleased to inform the Senate about the progress that we are making in restoring the enormous damage that was done to bulk-billing and to Medicare under the long period of government under the Liberals, when they froze the Medicare rebate, ripped billions and billions out of the Medicare system—

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

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

Senator McAllister, I'm sorry; please resume your seat. Order on my left! I can't hear the answer. Minister McAllister.

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

There is significant damage to repair. But, as senators will know, on 1 November our investment to lift bulk-billing rates started rolling out, and I can inform the senator that, in his own home state of Western Australia, 134 GP practices have indicated, through the AOA process, that they will become Medicare bulk-billing practices. That is an increase of 67 on where we were previously, a doubling of the number of practices that are fully bulk-billing in Western Australia.

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

Senator O'Sullivan, first supplementary?

Matt O'Sullivan (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, President, although I got very much a nonanswer on my question as to when it was going to come down to zero dollars. Cheryl from The Entrance North in New South Wales has told us: 'My GP charges $120 for a 15-minute consultation. I receive a $43.90 Medicare rebate and out-of-pocket costs of $76.10. I'm on the aged pension. I can't afford this, so my health is failing.' (Time expired)

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

The government is concerned about access to health care. In fact so concerned were we that we went to the last election promising to make the single largest investment in Medicare ever to deal with these circumstances. In the state of New South Wales, which your question refers to, the number of practices that have indicated through the EOI process that they will become Medicare bulk-billing practices—that is, practices that offer services for free for all their patients—is 904. That is an increase of 322 practices of those clinics that will be changing from mixed billing to fully bulk-billing in New South Wales.

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

Senator O'Sullivan, second supplementary?

Matt O'Sullivan (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Alicia from Mount Gambier in South Australia paid $103 for a five-minute appointment on her blood test results. She said: 'I got back $46 on Medicare, but that's beside the point.' We all agree with Alicia. When are Alicia's out-of-pocket costs projected to come down?

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

I can inform the Senate that in South Australia, as in the other states that I have mentioned in my answers, the number of practices that intend to move from mixed billing to fully bulk-billing has significantly increased. An additional 89 practices in South Australia have indicated that they will move to fully bulk-bill. What that means is that for people attending those practices, their services that are bulk-billed will be free.