The Labor Albanese Government is weakening Medicare, not strengthening it. Health Minister Mark Butler appears to be reheating an old bulk billing announcement in an attempt to hide the fact that it has never been harder and more expensive to see a doctor. The truth is that Medicare is currently covering the least amount of GP fees on record.
“In February, I revealed research by Cleanbill indicating that the number of GP medical clinics offering bulk billing to new adult patients without concessions had fallen from 25 to 16 during 2023 in the Ipswich region – a fall of 36%.
“The Royal Australian College of General Practioner’s Health of the Nation report also reported late last year that the number of GPs who bulk bill all their patients halved in just one year, while the cost of seeing a GP has increased by $11 on average.
“Labor can spin the figures as much as they like, but we know that 1.2 million Australians avoided seeing a doctor last year because of the costs, a seriously concerning trend. Locals just cannot afford to see a doctor, which increases the pressure on our over-burdened Ipswich Hospital with tragic consequences.
“The percentage of GP services paid for by Medicare has fallen to 84% under the Albanese Labor Government, which is the lowest level on record. This means that Australians are paying the highest out-of-pocket fees in history. This is happening under Labor,” said Senator Scarr.
