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

I'm actually delighted to take this matter of public importance regarding health care, because it's quite extraordinary that the member opposite has given a speech and not cited a single example—not one example. And there's a reason for that: there's none he can stand by. During question time today they alluded to a hip arthroscopy. This was referring to femoroacetabular impingement. In other words, they tried to cite a particular example which isn't even on Medicare. If I may, the Medical Services Advisory Committee found that the use of therapeutic hip arthroscopy and the management of FAI was poorly supported by evidence and varied greatly in clinical practice; therefore, this procedure has never attracted public funding and has never been listed on the MBS.

That was the one example from those opposite—something that wasn't on the MBS. They've been caught out in a 'Mediscare' again. But this time it's so obvious, it's so early, it's so ill-thought-through that it's simply embarrassing. This is possibly the lamest MPI I have seen in almost 20 years in this place. So, with great respect, I'm sorry to have to say that to the member opposite, who is generally a very nice fellow and whom I quite like. Having said that, to cite something that isn't supported and was picked out for being misused and inappropriately co-claimed—I'd be very keen to understand whether or not they think inappropriate practices is something that they support, as found by the medical experts, not just once but five years ago. But there has been no change in that period of time.

Let me now step back and talk about where we are as a country. This last year has seen the greatest positive transformation of Medicare since Medicare's formation. There was the creation of telehealth, which has seen over 60 million consultations occur. There was a massive investment, all up, of $6 billion in this budget. There was the increase of the total funding for Medicare from $19 billion when Labor was last in power to $30 billion, $31 billion, $32 billion and $33 billion over the forward estimates. That is real increase—already a 58 per cent increase but growing significantly further over the course of the coming budget.

In particular, we've also seen a $711 million investment in new items just in this budget. If they were to stop that, then I would be very surprised. I'm going to run through what some of those things are. That $711 million investment includes, as I mentioned earlier, $288 million for antidepression therapy. For the first time, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, rTMS, has been included on the Medicare scheme. That's a fundamental change in depression treatment. It puts Australia near the forefront of the world in terms of this treatment. It's about mental health. Sadly, that compares—and this is something that I hadn't previously brought up until very recently—with what happened under Labor when they were in government. What we saw in particular in their time and on their watch was a slashing of mental health funding under Medicare. In the 2011-12 federal budget, the then government and the then mental health minister, who is now the shadow minister for health, announced a $580 million cut to mental health services under Medicare. This included a reduction in the number of Medicare sessions available under Better Access from 18 to 10 per year.

Mr Deputy Speaker, you may be aware that in the October budget we doubled the number of Better Access services available from 10 to 20. We were undoing what Labor did. We were undoing the damage that they had done. Let me be clear: they cut the number of mental health sessions from 18 to 10; we doubled them from 10 to 20. At the same time, they also slashed the rebates for the preparation of mental health treatment plans for general practitioners by $580 million. But it is very important that we understand this is not our assessment. This comes from the 2011-12 budget paper, pages 229 and 230:

The Government will revise the number of allied health treatment services available to patients under the Better Access initiative.

…   …   …

The new arrangements will ensure that the Better Access initiative is more efficient and better targeted by limiting the number of services that patients with mild or moderate mental illness can receive …

I've talked a lot about what they've done in pausing PBS medicines, but perhaps it might be time to talk a whole lot more about what they've done in slashing mental health services. Just to repeat, on page 229 of the 2011 Budget Paper No. 2, it says:

The new arrangements will ensure that the Better Access initiative is more efficient and better targeted by limiting the number of services that patients with mild or moderate mental illness can receive …

That's what they actually did.

In this budget alone, we added $711 million. We put in place $288 million for direct mental health services. Last budget, we doubled the number of mental health services under the Better Access scheme, but we also added another $111 million for creating a new item for patients and carers of young people with mental health conditions to be able to participate in Better Access schemes. Last budget we added to the Better Access scheme. This budget we added to the Better Access scheme under Medicare. When they were in power, they slashed it by $588 million. That is a genuine cause for shame. But it's more than that. They've done it not just once or twice; they've done it on a number of occasions. I made reference before to an article by the member for Ballarat, when she was the shadow minister. I believe it was 16 April 2015 when she wrote very proudly in an article in the Guardian:

As a result of Labor's review process—

this is Labor's Medicare review process—

testing is now refined to better target patients who really do need a Vitamin D test. Combined with another move to split Folate and Vitamin B12 testing, close to $1 billion in savings are being realised over the next five years on just two MBS items—

Medicare Benefits Schedule items. So they took a billion out there and they took $580 million out of Medicare Better Access services for mental health, and we've put in $6 billion in this budget. So, seriously, this is going to be a long week for Labor if they want to run with this through the House, because I look forward to responding time and again with the actual facts.

Then, in terms of what we've been able to do in the course of this budget, the other items which they seem to complain about include an increase in the fee for the revision of a knee replacement, from $2,330 to $2,645; an increase in services for osteotomy of the tibia, from $850 to $956; an increase for coronary artery bypass grafting surgery, of 50 per cent; an increase for complex aortic procedures of $500 to $1,000; and an increase for operations on the spleen, a splenectomy during a distal pancreatectomy, from $1,231 to $1,617. There are many, many examples of those. If they wish to block them, good luck, but they would be denying support to patients. I would also note that the AMA have set out in writing, in a joint release with the government, their support for the actions that we have taken.

Not only can we compare all of this we have done on Medicare in increasing support for mental health, increasing access for new items and creating telehealth; we have increased bulk billing from 82 per cent on Labor's watch for the equivalent period, year to date, to 88.7 per cent. And what is bulk billing? It means that you are able to go to the doctor without having to pay. That's an increase of 6.7 per cent. That's what's happening across the country. And these figures are on the same basis as the figures Labor used when they were in office. That's a 6.7 per cent increase in terms of those who can visit the doctor without having to pay. That's real. That's significant. That's important. That's reducing pressure.

At the same time, we've also slashed in half the price rises that were occurring in private health insurance under Labor. We believe in the public health system. We also believe in the private health system. We believe that's what sets Australia apart and we also believe that is what has allowed Australia to have a partnership which has protected Australians during COVID. I am proud of what this government has done and I condemn what the previous government did. (Time expired)

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