Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | Hansard source

I want to thank the member for Lindsay. One of the very first things which she did after becoming a member of this place was to hold a mental health forum in her electorate, which I was privileged to join. That focus on mental health is included very squarely and fairly in this budget. In particular, we have increased our total Medicare expenditure—via the work of the Treasurer, the Prime Minister and the ERC—by $6 billion over the course of the forward estimates. From inheriting a spend of about $19 billion, Medicare will grow to $30 billion, $31 billion, $32 billion and $33 billion a year over the course of the forward estimates. This budget specifically includes $711 million for new Medicare items, including $288 million particularly for mental health. A focus on severe depression, through TMS treatment being made available for the first time under Medicare in Australia, will give many Australians with severe depression access to a treatment which will be fundamental, which has been considered and approved as being safe and effective. That's an enormous step forward. At the same time, we see critical new procedures, such as aortic procedures for infants, which were not previously listed. As the science evolves, the schedule is updated and these new items are brought forward—wonderful, potentially life-saving procedures which are being included for the first time.

At the same time, we've also been able to invest very significantly in new medicines. We know, of course, that in 2011 there was a pause to the listing of new medicines. That's not something that's ever happened under us. We are committed to the listing of every medicine which the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee recommends. In this budget, we have done that again. There is $43 billion for new medicines under the PBS and existing medicines as we go forward. There have been over 2,600 medicines listed to date, and, in particular, I am delighted that we've been able to list Emgality for chronic migraine. This is a medicine which will make a difference to thousands of Australians every year, saving thousands of dollars for those Australians. We see an increase of $6 billion for Medicare, including the extension of telehealth, which has now reached 60 million telehealth items. We also see the expansion of new treatments for mental health and then the provision of new medicines for migraines. All of these things are making a fundamental difference. And bulk-billing has soared to record levels of 88.7 per cent.

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