Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | Hansard source

The Health Insurance Legislation Amendment (Assignment of Medicare Benefits) Bill 2024 makes a series of amendments to the Health Insurance Act 1973 to update the assignment-of-benefit process which underpins bulk-billed Medicare services and simplify billing. The amendments will remove some of the current rigid paperwork requirements to allow for more streamlined processing of MBS bulk-billing claims, particularly for telehealth consults. It will reduce regulatory and administrative burdens for healthcare providers who provide bulk-billed services, private health insurers and approved billing agents. This will ensure the payment of Medicare benefits are aligned with modern practice and reduce administrative burden for health providers. The coalition welcomes the reduction in red tape that will be achieved by this legislation. We support these sensible amendments which will streamline processes for healthcare providers and private health insurers.

Although we support this legislation and its intended purpose, we are concerned that the government has stated that this bill represents more progress on the government's commitment to strengthen Medicare, because it has become clear that, under the Albanese Labor government, Medicare has only been weakened. Labor is overseeing a primary healthcare crisis that means it's never been harder or more expensive to see a doctor. In fact, bulk-billing has collapsed since the last election. In Minister Butler's own words, bulk-billing is the 'beating heart' of Medicare, but the reality is it has plummeted by 11 per cent since Labor came into government, falling from 88.5 per cent when the coalition left government to 77 per cent under Minister Butler. This is the worst GP bulk-billing rate in a decade.

Recent data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has also shown that Medicare is now covering the lowest percentage of GP fees on record, at 84 per cent in April 2024. This means that Australians are paying the highest amount of fees to see a doctor in history, and this is happening in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. At a time when Australians are already facing skyrocketing cost pressures, we know that this is causing many families to choose between seeing their doctor and paying their bills. In fact, last year, 1.2 million Australians avoided seeing a doctor due to concerns over costs. We know that, since then, the costs have only increased and it has only become harder to access a bulk-billed doctor's appointment. This financial year, we have seen three million fewer GP visits as these pressures force Australians to put off seeing a GP. Australians can't afford to have this primary care crisis continue. Not only is it pushing up out-of-pocket expenses for families but we also know that a weakened primary care system only increases the pressure on our already overburdened hospitals. With less access to the early intervention provided by primary health care, more and more patients will be pushed towards the hospital system. This is particularly concerning given that 2022-23 saw the worst average emergency department wait times in a decade, while the wait times for elective surgery have almost doubled compare to 20 years ago.

Australians' access to critical health care is increasingly at risk, and the government must start taking real action to address this—real action like putting downward pressure on inflation, which we know is impacting general practice as it is other small businesses across the country; and real action like addressing the severe GP workforce shortages that are underpinning the current challenges in primary care. For more than a year the coalition has been calling for the government to implement an urgent and comprehensive national workforce strategy for the entire care sector, but they are refusing to listen. Until these workforce shortages are adequately addressed, Australians will not have timely and affordable access to a GP. Once again, the coalition supports this legislation and the fact that it removes red tape and streamlines processes for health providers and private health insurance. However, we put it on the record that the data clearly shows this government is weakening Australia's access to affordable health care, not strengthening it.

Debate adjourned.

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