Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise in support of the Health Insurance Legislation Amendment (Assignment of Medicare Benefits) Bill 2024. I say the name of the bill for those who were listening to the member for Riverina. They might not have actually realised what the legislation was about. It was a lovely presentation of material by the member for Riverina. He's got a fine turn of phrase. He did occasionally drift into the legislation, but he then saved himself and moved away from it.

Medicare is a proud Australian institution. Indeed, it is a proud Labor innovation. Medicare is one of the legacies of Gough Whitlam, although back then it was originally called Medibank. It was introduced by the Whitlam Labor government in 1975. It was a big year, and I seem to recall something bad for democracy happened around 11 November that year. Sadly, Medibank was short lived. The Fraser government, after taking office in November 1975 and under the guidance of Treasurer John Howard, introduced a series of modifications, which resulted in Medibank being dismantled by 1981. Then, in 1984, Medicare was reintroduced by Bob Hawkes's magnificent reforming government. We're now 40 years on, and this nation's universal public health scheme is going strong. Whether you're young or old, from the bush or from the city, Medicare works for you. In fact, that one Labor policy has done more for people in the bush than every single National Party MP and senator ever elected combined. I'm sure the member for Riverina would agree with that!

Medicare guarantees all Australians access to a wide range of health and hospital services at low or no cost. For the past 40 years, Medicare has ensured that the quality of health care Australians receive has nothing to do with where they live or how much they earn. Medicare allows all Australians to get the medical treatment they need, regardless of their circumstances in life. It is their Medicare card that counts, not their credit card. Labor has always defended and strengthened Medicare when we're in office. We do that despite the long history of coalition governments trying to run it down. I'm sure, if you're of a certain age, you will remember John Howard's promise to Australians that he would not touch Medicare. Then, when elected in 1996, he cut funding to Medicare, raised the safety net threshold and scared Australians into taking up private health insurance.

I remember opposition leader Tony Abbott campaigning when he promised no cuts to Medicare. Remember that campaign in 2013? That 2013 election is quite a difficult memory for me. He also promised me a $500 cut to my power bill. When is that coming? But I digress. During the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison shemozzle, the coalition froze the Medicare rebate, tried to introduce a GP tax three times and planned to privatise the Medicare payment system. That was under the nation's worst-ever health minister, who now leads the opposition. The Labor Party's fundamental belief is that every Australian deserves access to universal, prompt and world-class health care. This is an enduring value and one that all party members hold dear.

Since coming to government, Prime Minister Albanese and Minster Butler have prioritised measures to help GPs and health professionals provide the medical care needed by Australians. We're committed to strengthening Medicare and making it fit for purpose. That's what I'm here to talk about today. This bill amends the Health Insurance Act 1973 to modernise the assignment of the Medicare benefits for bulk-billed and simplified billing services. Labor wants to take all possible measures to make it easier for Australians to be bulk-billed and easier for Australians to access the health services they need. We've worked hard to stop the slide of bulk-billing. I know how crucial bulk-billing is for those doing it tough at the moment and for those with health concerns. Last year, Labor's record $3.5 billion investment in bulk-billing led to an increase in the practice in every state and every territory. I'm sure the member for Riverina can take comfort from that. Now we want to make it easier for patients to be bulk-billed.

In 2023, we tripled the bulk-billing incentive, and now, in 2024, we're making it easier for medical professionals to bulk-bill their patients. The reforms concern the process of assignment of benefits. In this process, a patient assigns their Medicare benefit to a healthcare provider or to their health insurer when they have a no-gap arrangement. The Medicare benefit is then paid directly to the provider or insurer. The patient does not need to pay for the service and then be reimbursed, which we would all agree is more simple and more efficient. However, getting to this point is not. The act currently specifies that the provider or insurer and the patient sign an agreement to assign the benefit. The provider must keep a record of the documentation. As the Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care said:

GPs have long complained of an overly complex and onerous paperwork process that is inefficient and holds back productivity.

To be continued.

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