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

I know people have been waiting with bated breath for the continuation of this speech! I'm glad that the member for Gippsland has returned to hear the end of this tale about private health insurance legislation. The onerous paperwork process has not kept up to date with technology. In most cases, this is hard copy paperwork that requires two handwritten signatures. This is not exactly in step with the 21st century at all. It is also acknowledged that this process fails to safeguard Medicare from fraud.

Once again Labor is fixing the mess created by the former coalition government. The coalition failed to make Medicare safe and they also failed to make billing processes simpler and more efficient for either practitioners or patients recognising the technological advances of the 21st century.

So what does this bill amend? Firstly, it brings the assignment-of-benefits process forward to employ the new digital solutions that are widely in use everywhere. In fact, most people have it in their pocket: some sort of mobile device. I'm talking about providers and patients being able to use digital or electronic signatures to sign the assignment documentation, a timesaving and more efficient process indeed. In fact, it is as simple as a tap. It also has the benefit of making the process clearer for patients so they can make informed choices about their healthcare options and their billing. Patients will be able to assign a Medicare benefit before or after receiving a health service. Key stakeholders advocated for this change along with the capability for ongoing assignment agreements in cases.

The reforms also take into account the increasing telehealth trend. An online signing process will remove the potential incompatibility of the verbal assignment with legislation for bulk-billed telehealth services. We won't make this change overnight; we want to ensure that the new process includes forms and systems that are fit for purpose and ones that will be futureproofed and adaptable in the face of technology advancements. We'll be consulting with practitioner representative organisations to make sure they're right before they're designed and rolled out. It is our clear intention to reduce the administrative burden on healthcare providers with these reforms. People don't go to medical school to deal with bits of paper and Medicare forms.

Thankfully, the days of taking your doctor's payment receipt into a Medicare office to get your cheque refund are long gone. For the kids listening at home: if you're Googling that word cheque, it's spelled c-h-e-q-u-e. Soon the onerous, paper based, burdensome assignment-of-benefit process will be gone too. The bill also includes amendments that improve the requirements for recordkeeping, which further supports audits of services. Information that is already collected by the sector will be able to be used flexibly.

The reforms in this bill are an important part of strengthening Medicare and making it efficient and modern for both practitioners and patients. The Albanese Labor government believes in Medicare and continues to drive measures that make it easier and cheaper for Australians to access high-quality and affordable healthcare. I commend the bill to the House.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

Message from the Governor-General recommending appropriation announced.