THE HON KRISTY MCBAIN MP

MEMBER FOR EDEN-MONARO

A re-elected Albanese Government will continue to improve healthcare access in Eden-Monaro, while reducing out-of-pocket costs for patients and families – as part of an $8.5 billion investment to strengthen Medicare.

This will mark the single biggest investment in Medicare since its creation over 40 years ago, and will support an additional 18 million bulk billed GP visits each year nationally, hundreds of nursing scholarships and thousands more doctors in the largest GP training program ever.

For the first time, Labor will expand bulk billing incentives to all Australians and create an additional new incentive payment for practices that bulk bill every patient.

This will mean 9 out of 10 GP visits will be bulk billed by 2030, boosting the number of fully bulk billed practices to around 4,800 nationally – triple the current number.

Labor will:

Expand the bulk billing incentive to all Australians. 

• Labor tripled the bulk billing incentive for people who need to see their GP most often: pensioners, concession cardholders, and families with children.
• That support has restored bulk billing for those 11 million Australians.

From 1 November, Labor will expand that incentive to all Australians.

• From 1 November, a new Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program will support practices that bulk bill all their patients.
• On top of the bulk billing incentive, fully bulk billing practices will receive an additional 12.5% loading payment on their Medicare rebates.
• The combined investment means around 4,800 practices will be in a better financial position if they adopt full bulk billing.

Labor will deliver more doctors and nurses into Medicare, with 400 nursing scholarships and the largest GP training program in Australian history, funding the training of 2,000 new GP trainees a year by 2028.

Fact sheet – more bulk billing: ‘More bulk billing – fact sheet’

Fact sheet – more doctors and nurses: ‘More doctors and nurses – fact sheet’

Quotes attributable to Federal Member for Eden-Monaro, Kristy McBain:

“Living in a regional community, I know how tough it can be to access healthcare services – but your postcode and your bank balance shouldn’t be a barrier, which is why we continue to strengthen Medicare.

“Not only will our $8.5 billion investment reduce out-of-pocket costs for people in Eden-Monaro, it will strengthen health workforces to give people more care options closer to home. 

“This investment will build on what we’ve already done to improve healthcare and to save people money – including increasing the bulk billing incentive, making medicines cheaper, opening Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, and waiving HECS for doctors and nurses that work in our regions.

“It also adds to our commitment to invest an additional $573 million in women’s health, including more support for menopause and contraceptives – saving women and their families thousands of dollars.”