A record investment in Medicare

The Albanese Labor Government is making the single largest investment in Medicare since its creation over 40 years ago, with $8.5 billion to deliver an additional 18 million bulk billed GP visits each year, hundreds of nursing scholarships and thousands more doctors in the largest GP training program ever.
 
Australian patients and families will save hundreds of dollars a year in out-of-pocket costs, with patient savings of $859 million a year by 2030.
 
Labor’s record investment restores the $8.3 billion the Australian Medical Association says was cut from Medicare through the funding freeze initiated by Peter Dutton a decade ago.
 
For the first time, Labor is expanding bulk billing incentives to all Australians and creating 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 is delivering:

• Expanded 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. Labor has now expanded that incentive to all Australians.
• A new incentive payment for practices that bulk bill every patient. We've introduced 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 is also delivering 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.

Making it Easier to See a Doctor

The Labor Government is opening 137 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics across the country.

The Albanese Labor Government has delivered 87 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, including six in Canberra, to take pressure off our emergency departments.

Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are open seven days a week, with extended hours, and offer walk-in care that is fully bulk billed. Across all clinics, approximately one in three visits are from someone under 15 years old, and one in three visits take place on weekends.

Labor has also announced a free, around-the-clock 1800MEDICARE advice line and after hours GP telehealth service - because life isn't 9 to 5, and neither is health care. Combined with our new urgent care clinics, this will ensure free urgent care is within a 20-minute drive for four out of every five Australians, and just a phone call away for every Australian.

Investing directly in Canberra, the Albanese Labor Government has committed $10.5 million to establish three additional bulk billing GP practices in Gungahlin, South Tuggeranong and Molonglo.

Cutting the Cost of Medicines

Millions of Australians are saving on prescriptions under the Albanese Labor Government.

The maximum PBS co-payment is now $25 per script, down from $42.50 when Labor came to government - saving Australians hundreds of dollars a year on essential medicines.

Labor is also delivering its 60 Day Prescription Dispensing policy, allowing hundreds of common medicines to be purchased in two-month quantities. At least 6 million Australians are prescribed medicines eligible for 60-day dispensing, saving them money and time, and freeing up GP appointments. This will save patients $1.6 billion over four years.

Investing in Women's Health

The Albanese Labor Government is investing $573.3 million in women's health - delivering more choice, lower costs, and better care for women at every stage of life.

For the first time in 30 years, new contraceptive pills have been listed on the PBS. The 50,000 women who use Yaz and Yasmin could save up to $350 a year. New menopausal hormone therapies have also been listed for the first time in 20 years, with 150,000 women saving up to $577 a year.

Labor is also providing more bulk billing options for long-term contraceptives like IUDs, and has now opened 33 pelvic pain and endometriosis clinics across the country, including one right here in Canberra.