Michelle Ananda-Rajah (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator McAllister. Helping Australians get the health care they need when they need it is one of the Albanese Labor government's top priorities. We know how much of a difference a stronger Medicare makes to the lives of everyday Australians. How has the government delivered on its commitment to provide Australians with affordable and accessible urgent care?

Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

Tell us about the algorithm.

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

Once again, I haven't even called the minister and the interjections have started. I'm serious; if you can't be quiet, leave the chamber. Minister McAllister.

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

The Albanese government has fully delivered on our election commitment to open an additional 50 Medicare urgent care clinics, and that means every single one of the 137 Medicare urgent care clinics we promised when we came to government are now open across the nation. For your home state, Senator Ananda-Rajah, that means 29 clinics providing bulk-billed urgent care for Victorians when they need it most. What does it mean in practice? Well, that just means mums and dads taking their kids to a clinic after a bad injury at Saturday sport without sitting for hours in the emergency department. It means a tradie with a deep cut can get treated the same day, close to home. It means an older Australian with a bad flare-up can get urgent treatment quickly without waiting days for a GP appointment. About four out of five Australians now live within a 20-minute drive of an urgent care clinic, and we have seen 3.1 million visits to Medicare urgent care clinics across Australia since the first one opened in June 2023.

We have heard that about 45 per cent of patients going to an urgent care clinic would have otherwise sought treatment at an emergency department or called an ambulance, so make no mistake: these clinics are filling a gap. They're filling a gap in our health system; they're giving our hospitals, our doctors and our nurses the support that they need; and they work for one important reason, which is that the only thing that people need to access these clinics is their Medicare card, not their credit card, and thanks to this Labor government these urgent care clinics are here to stay. This is what Labor governments do. We focus on the interests of the Australian people, not on fighting with the other parties who compete for the same political territory—the Libs, the Nats and One Nation fighting amongst themselves. We deliver for working Australians. (Time expired)

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

Senator Ananda-Rajah, first supplementary?

Michelle Ananda-Rajah (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

I, like my colleagues, understand that when it comes to getting quality health care all you should need is your Medicare card, not your credit card. How is the Albanese Labor government's record investment in Medicare helping more Australians see a doctor for free?

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

Thanks to our Labor government's historic investment in Medicare, the number of bulk-billing practices in this country gets bigger every week. We know that, in the first quarter of this year, the bulk-billing rate had risen to 81.9 per cent. That is a 4.6 percentage point increase on the same period from last year. Bulk-billing rates are up in every state and territory. What does that mean? It means that the numbers do not lie. Our historic $8½ billion investment in bulk-billing has delivered a historic result. It means more and more people are able to go and see a doctor with just their Medicare card—not a credit card but their Medicare card. Again, our sole focus is on delivering for the Australian people. Meanwhile, the three right-wing parties are focused on themselves and their own base interests. They are focused on division; we're focused on delivery.

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

Senator Ananda-Rajah, second supplementary?

Michelle Ananda-Rajah (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

The Albanese Labor government is focused on strengthening Medicare so it can deliver health care to everyone that needs it. Why are these investments to Medicare needed, and why has the government chosen this approach?

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

We had no choice but to make these investments. The future of Medicare depended on it because the coalition had a clear plan to demolish Medicare by neglect. Under the coalition, bulk-billing was in freefall. The rate for children and concession cardholders was just 75.6 per cent because the coalition's six-year freeze ripped billions of dollars out of Medicare. The AMA estimated that the coalition would've taken $8.3 billion out of Medicare by 2027-28. So, while we are working to expand access to universal health care, those opposite haven't learned the lessons. They have not learned a single thing. The Liberal Party, the National Party and One Nation have never valued universal health care. They voted against cheaper medicines, they all represent a huge threat to Medicare and, in their chaotic competition for supremacy, the last thing they have in mind is the Australian people.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.