Ross Vasta (Bonner, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The coalition's stronger economy means we're able to deliver quality health care to the families of Bonner. That means more access to vital health services locally and less money and time spent travelling. This is great news for my constituents' weekly family budget.

Another great healthcare investment by the coalition government is the $375 million package to deliver 50 new MRI licences across Australia. Since this announcement last year I've been working with locals to secure an MRI bulk-billing licence in Bonner for local families. I've met with the Minister for Health, the Hon. Greg Hunt, on a number of occasions to put our case forward, and I'm pleased to announce we have secured a Medicare-eligible MRI licence for Qscan Carindale. This is huge news for my electorate. One fully operational Medicare-eligible MRI licence provides 5,500 services for over 4,000 patients. This means that Bonner residents in need of a vital MRI will spend less money and less time travelling to get there. This means MRI services will be delivered for patients with a range of conditions, including cancers, neurological conditions, coronary conditions and stroke. And the best part is: no out-of-pocket costs.

This is just one example of the coalition's record investment into health. With a strong economy we've been able to invest more than $10 billion in adding over 1,900 new life-changing medicines onto the PBS, $26 million in tackling childhood heart disease and $26 million in mental health programs—and Medicare spending is guaranteed, and increasing, every year.

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