An elected Dutton Coalition Government will invest an historic $9 billion into Medicare to fix Labor’s healthcare crisis and ensure all Australians have timely and affordable access to a doctor, the Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health Dr Anne Webster said today.

“Under Labor’s bulk billing crisis, it has never been harder or more expensive to see a doctor. Australians are now paying 45 per cent more to see their GP, as bulk billing has collapsed from 88 per cent under the Coalition, to 77 per cent under Anthony Albanese,” Dr Webster said. 

“There has been a reduction of 231,275 bulk billed visits in Mallee under Labor in 2023/4 compared with the Coalition’s last year in office, 2021/22. Across the nation, last financial year alone saw 40 million fewer bulk billed GP visits under Labor, in comparison to the Coalition’s last year in government.

“This crisis has forced 1.5 million Australians to avoid seeing a doctor in 2023-24, adding further demand to already under-pressure hospitals across the country.

“The Coalition recognises the urgent need for better access to bulk billed services in the middle of Labor’s healthcare crisis. That is why a Dutton-Littleproud Coalition Government will match the $8.5 billion investment into Medicare dollar-for-dollar to fix Labor’s mess and restore bulk billing back up to Coalition levels.

Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) president Dr Rod Martin said a new bipartisan Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program will help rural and remote clinics to provide high-quality care, grow their teams, and upgrade facilities: “Under this initiative, a standard bulk-billed consultation at a regional or rural practice will almost double, reducing cost barriers and ensuring more affordable access for patients in rural, remote, and First Nations communities.”

Dr Webster said there still needs to be specific policy for the dire regional health workforce shortage, through policies she has developed and due for release before the election.

“The Coalition’s $8.5 billion commitment builds on the $500 million commitment we announced in May to restore critical Medicare funding for mental health support, after it was slashed in half by the Albanese Government. We continue to call on Labor to match this funding and support vulnerable Australians with more complex or chronic mental health conditions.

“The Coalition welcomes the Government’s decision to finally listen to our calls to address the health workforce crisis with a comprehensive package of training measures. The Coalition led the way with our $400 million plan to grow a strong pipeline of homegrown GPs, which will provide junior doctors who choose to train as a GP in the community with financial incentives, assistance with leave entitlements and training support, to help fill the shortages in regional areas.

“In Government, the Coalition increased hospital funding by 16 per cent and established the now $22 billion Medical Research Future Fund which has delivered cutting edge research, medical breakthroughs and advancements for all Australians.

“The Coalition supported the additional $1.7 billion in funding for the public hospital system, because we know that Labor’s primary care crisis is putting unprecedented pressure on our hospitals.

Fixing Labor’s health care crisis and bulk billing crisis is all part of our plan to get our country back on track.

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