The Albanese Government has unveiled a bold $8.5 billion plan to strengthen Medicare, marking the largest investment in the healthcare system in over 40 years.
The plan promises to deliver 18 million more bulk-billed GP visits each year, fund hundreds of nursing scholarships, and train thousands of new doctors.
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This major investment aims to save Australian families hundreds of dollars in out-of-pocket costs, with an expected $859 million in savings by 2030.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: “No Australian should have to check their balance to see if they can afford to see a doctor. That is not who we are. That is not the future we want for Australia.”
Albanese said this initiative will help with cost-of-living pressures and ensure every Australian receives the “best health care that they deserve.”
However, following Albanese’s announcement, the Opposition confirmed it would match the promise, and go even further with a $9 billion commitment.
Shadow Health Minister Anne Ruston said, “The Labor Party are making an announcement to fix a problem that they have caused, so we will support them fixing the mess,” Ruston said.
So what does Labor’s Medicare promise entail?
A key feature of the plan is the expansion of bulk billing.
Starting in November, Labor will extend bulk billing incentives to all Australians and offer extra support to practices that bulk bill every patient.
This will see the number of fully bulk-billed practices grow to 4,800 by 2030, a threefold increase.
Health Minister Mark Butler criticised the previous government’s freeze, saying Labor’s new plan would put the funding back into the system and make healthcare more affordable for all.
“Australia’s doctors voted Peter Dutton the worst Health Minister in Medicare history for a reason,” Butler said.
“Peter Dutton tried to end bulk billing with a GP tax and then started a six-year freeze to Medicare rebates that froze GP incomes and stripped billions out of Medicare.”
As part of the plan, Labor will also fund the training of 2,000 new GPs every year by 2028 and offer 400 new nursing scholarships to help address workforce shortages.
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