Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Bilyk for the question. The Medicare urgent care clinics are just one part of our program to strengthen Medicare. In the budget this year, we have had the tripling of the bulk-billing incentive, really making a significant difference. Some doctors groups have called it game-changing in terms of being able to use and continue to use bulk billing for patients. But we have also been delivering cheaper medicines. Again, last week I went through some of the savings that we have seen for people—in the order of $20 million per month—from having cheaper medicines and cheaper scripts. Those things, together with our Medicare urgent care clinics, the work we're doing around workforce and the work we're doing to negotiate a new pharmacy agreement, are all about ensuring that we are strengthening Medicare and making health care accessible and affordable to Australians.