Stephen Bates (Brisbane, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Working in the United States and experiencing their healthcare system is the reason that I got into politics, to defend the principles of universal free health care. Access to quality health care, including mental health care, is a basic human right, and ensuring all people have equitable, affordable and accessible quality health care should be one of the government's main priorities.

Our government exists to serve people and communities. Despite this, rising out-of-pocket costs for health care is an issue that the government has not adequately addressed. Countless residents from my electorate have contacted me in distress, unable to afford or access timely health care, including bulk-billing GP services. I've heard from Patricia, who suffers from a chronic health condition and receives a low income but earns just enough to be ineligible for the healthcare card. She is forced to pay $40 out of pocket for each GP visit, which adds up even faster as other expenses rise. I've heard from Mark, who reports that he is struggling to afford required GP referrals for specialist appointments such as a dermatologist for skin checks, which is essential for people living in a country with some of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world.

I've also heard from many local GPs who have shared the challenges of bulk billing to keep up with the running costs of their clinics and the provision of quality care. Unlike public hospitals, GP clinics are forced to generate an income to pay for wages and cover costs and struggle to do so through bulk billing because the Medicare rebate is too low. This means that GPs often have to undertake administrative work relevant to patient care after hours and are forced to churn through patients or charge extra. While many GPs want to maintain bulk billing to provide for everyday people, sustaining this essential service carries a risk of burnout.

Furthermore, right now, millions of Australians aren't seeking the preventive health care they need because they can't afford it. Over two million Australians skip seeing the dentist each year, while millions are locked out of seeking mental health support because of the cost. These are the consequences of the undermining of our public healthcare system by pushing people into the private health insurance industry, which is run for profit and not for people. We need a system that is designed to keep people well and not just treat them when they are sick. A universal, fully funded public health system is the most equitable and efficient way to resource and deliver health services, including mental health services. That is why we advocate stopping the handouts to big private health corporations and reinvesting that $59 billion in public money where it belongs, in the public health system.

The LNP and Labor's $244 billion of the stage 3 tax cuts for the wealthiest people in this country could be spent on funding essential healthcare services and other social services for the public good, especially while we recover from housing, employment, environment and healthcare crises. After all, an effective health system must be based on primary care and preventative measures, such as health promotion, disease prevention, risk reduction and early intervention in order to manage chronic diseases. This saves money but also reduces hospital admissions, and, more importantly, it saves lives and improves quality of life.

We could bring dental and mental health into Medicare and eliminate out-of-pocket health expenses in diagnostics and tests, including X-rays and MRIs. We could reduce waiting times, invest in a high-quality workforce and improve access for people living in regional and remote areas. We could provide free and universal access to GPs across Australia. There are solutions before us, and I want people in Brisbane to know I am fighting for those solutions. We just need the political will from this government to make it happen.