By Ethan Benedicto
There will be 482,500 additional bulk-billed visits to the GP by 2030 in the southeast, according to Labor’s new promise for a re-elected government.
Labor’s proposal will see the Bruce electorate have 122,600 new additional bulk-billed GPs in 2030, with a claim of 45 clinics in better financial position, and savings from $366 to $374 for families with older children each year.
Likewise, for younger families, the savings were stated to be $209 to $220 each year, and for retirees, $224 to $425 each year.
Bruce MP Julian Hill said that with Labor creating Medicare and the Liberals initially opposing it, they (the Coalition) “have never truly supported the universal health system”.
“Peter Dutton was voted the worst Health Minster by Australians Doctors, sending bulk billing into free-fall by freezing the Medicare rebate for years.
“This landmark investment will return every single dollar Peter Dutton gutted from GPs, delivering access to bulk-billed GP services for every Australian, hundreds more nursing scholarships and the largest GP training program ever,” he said.
The electorate of Holt will see 101,000 additional bulk-billed visits to the GP by 2030, with 35 clinics in a better financial position.
The La Trobe electorate will see the lowest in the region – though still substantial – with 100,000 additional bulk-billed GP visits and 25 clinics in a better financial position.
Bruce, Holt, and the electorates of Isaacs and La Trobe will see the same amount of money saved annually in out-of-pocket costs.
The Isaacs electorate will see the biggest amount of additional bulk-billed visits to the GP by 2030, with 158,900 and with 25 clinics in a better financial position.
Last weekend, on Saturday, 22 February, the Labor government announced an $8.5 billion investment to Medicare to provide an umbrella bulk-billing service, if re-elected.
This included an increase in the number of bulk-billed GP visits each year by 18 million annually, with Labor’s goal of having 9 out of 10 Australians having their visits bulk-billed by 2030.
The Coalition matched this development with their own announcement the day after, where on Sunday, 23 February, they declared a $9 billion investment.
The Australian Medical Association’s president, Dr Danielle McMullen, said that GPs are the cornerstone of the country’s healthcare system and that access to affordable care is essential.
Speaking on Labor’s announcement, McMullen said that the $8.5 billion is the second significant package of funding for general practice from the government.
“This follows a $5.7 billion investment in 2023 to support patients and address growing concerns over the viability of many general practices,” they said.
“Through our Modernise Medicare Campaign, we have highlighted the neglect of Medicare, which included years of frozen and inadequate indexation by successive governments.
“This funding package will help address affordability issues for many vulnerable and disadvantaged Australians who do not currently qualify for bulk billing incentives.”
The initial Labor Party release also stated through a bulk billing fact sheet that the funding will see a greater incentive for GP clinics, seeing as that they will receive additional funding if they bulk-bill every patient.
Furthermore, an extra 12.5 per cent loading on Medicare rebates will also be provided for these clinics.
Building on this, there will also be a substantial jump in Medicare rebates for bulk-billing GPs, where a standard GP visit that lasts from 6 to 20 minutes in a city practice will have a 62 per cent increase, from $42.85 to $69.56.
In rural areas, the same visit could see a 103 per cent increase to $86.91 in rebates.
In addition to a boost to Medicare, 400 nursing scholarships and 2800 new GP trainees a year by 2028 are also part of the plan.
“Only a Federal Labor government will return the promise at the heart of Medicare – that it’s your medicare card, not your credit card that determines if you can access quality healthcare,” Hill said.
“At least 9 out of 10 visits to the GP will be free – fully bulk-billed – under Labor’s plan, meaning nearly half a million more bulk-billed GP visits in southeast Melbourne when fully implemented.”
Looking deeper, the Coalition’s approach to bulk billing rates has them asserting that the rates themselves have declined from 88 per cent under their previous governance to 77 percent under the current Labor government.
As for support for the healthcare workforce, the Coalition included $400 million to bolster homegrown GPs, which also offers financial incentives, assistance with leave entitlements, and training support for those training to become a GP.
As a response, the AMA issued another response to the Coalition’s counter-announcement, indicating that the bipartisan agreement from both major parties to bolster Medicare is critical.
Speaking on the Coalition’s commitment to match Labor’s $8.5 billion for general practice, McMullen said that it “shows recognition across the major parties that funding for primary care has far too long been in decline”.
“While announcements on the weekend were warmly welcomed, our Modernise Medicare campaign focused on the need for Medicare reform to ensure that patients with complex and chronic care needs were better supported,” they said.
McMullen also added that there needs to be greater focus on the complexities of healthcare’s needs of today’s patients and that it is reflected in the way that general practice is funded.
“The AMA has proposed major reforms to bring Medicare into the modern day, including through a new seven-tier general practice consultation item structure which will fund GPs to spend more time providing more care for more patients,” McMullen said.
They also added that the commitments from both parties have addressed the AMA’s requests for further training and funding that addresses employment conditions for GPs and other doctors-in-training.
“We stand ready to work with politicians from all parties to make sure Australia’s healthcare needs are understood and funded for now and into the future,” McMullen said.
Liberal and La Trobe MP Jason Wood was contacted for comment but has yet to reply.
This story is developing, and more will be added once information becomes available.
