Strengthening Medicare: A Commitment to Accessible Healthcare

Strategic Insights -

As Australians continue to face challenging conditions in the healthcare system, the government has taken significant steps to strengthen Medicare. Introduced in 1983, Medicare has been a cornerstone of Australian healthcare, providing fair and equitable access to medical care for all citizens. In 2022, the Labor government made a promise to protect and strengthen Medicare, and they have delivered on this commitment.

Key Takeaways:

  • The government has invested $81/2 billion in Medicare, increasing bulk-billed GP visits, training more doctors and nurses, and making healthcare more affordable for families.
  • By 2030, nine out of 10 GP visits will be bulk-billed, ensuring that Australians can rely on their Medicare card, not their credit card, to see a doctor.
  • The government has delivered two largest increases of Medicare rebates in three decades, reversing years of Liberal freezes and cuts.
  • Australians have already saved more than $1 billion through reforms, and the costs of hundreds of common prescriptions have been slashed.
  • The government has introduced 60-day dispensing for nearly 300 medicines, lowered the PBS safety net, and cut the maximum price of a script to just $25.
  • The government has delivered urgent care clinics, which have seen over 1.8 million Australians receive free urgent care without waiting hours in a hospital emergency department.
  • The government has invested half a billion dollars in women's health, funding more contraceptives, and new endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics.
  • The government has established the Medicare Integrity Taskforce to strengthen compliance and enforcement powers, and has provided further funding to continue this work.
  • The Health Legislation Amendment (Improved Medicare Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2025 implements key recommendations of the Philip review, amending laws to strengthen compliance and enforcement powers, and improving the efficiency of the process for approving pharmacists.

Statistics:

  • Australians have already saved more than $8.6 million on cheaper medicines since 2022.
  • Over 10,000 presentations have been made at the Medicare urgent care clinic in Top Ryde, and another clinic is set to open in Chatswood soon.
  • More than 1.8 million Australians have received free urgent care at Medicare urgent care clinics.
  • The government has invested half a billion dollars in women's health, funding more contraceptives, and new endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics.
  • The Medicare Integrity Taskforce has been established to strengthen compliance and enforcement powers, and has provided further funding to continue this work.

Sources:

  • Parliament of Australia (16:16): "Strengthening Medicare"
  • Philip review (2022): "Independent review of the Medicare integrity and compliance measures"
  • Health Legislation Amendment (Improved Medicare Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2025
  • Government press releases and announcements (2022-2025)