Michael Ferguson (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Would the minister update the House on the latest GP bulk-billing figures, especially in my state of Tasmania.

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Bass for his question. He does not just talk about health; late last year he walked 200 kilometres to raise $40,000 for cystic fibrosis research. Well done to the member for Bass. I can well understand why he is interested in the bulk-billing rate in Tasmania, because it has risen by almost 20 percentage points since the government’s Strengthening Medicare changes began in December 2003. Bulk-billing is not the be-all and end-all of Medicare but it is important. It should be widely available, particularly to children and pensioners, and that is just what is happening, thanks to the policies of the Howard government.

In the December quarter last year, the GP bulk-billing rate reached 75.1 per cent; that is, more than three out of four GP visits right around Australia are now bulk-billed. That is an 8.6 percentage point increase on December 2003. The bulk-billing rate in country areas, at almost 70 per cent, is at an all-time high. The bulk-billing rate for children under 16, at over 82 per cent, is at an all-time high. Tasmania is up 19.8 percentage points, South Australia is up 13.6 percentage points, Queensland is up 10.9 percentage points, Victoria is up 9.3 percentage points, Western Australia is up eight percentage points and New South Wales is up 5.6 percentage points to over 80 per cent. Over eight out of 10 visits to a GP in New South Wales are bulk-billed. These are the sorts of figures which demonstrate why the Australian people trust the Howard government with their health care. They understand, even if members opposite do not, that the Howard government is the best friend that Medicare has ever had.