Healthcare has continued to be a focus in the final week leading up to the Federal election, with Labor announcing an expansion and rebranding of Healthdirect, and the Liberals agreeing to match it.
Labor committed to making a $204.5 million investment to improve the existing service, which would become 1800MEDICARE.
The plan would see Healthdirect services expanded to every State and Territory, under one consistent national service.
It would be a free, nationwide 24/7 health advice line and after-hours GP telehealth service, backed by Medicare.
The line, which would launch at the beginning of 2026, would be staffed by registered nurses who would triage calls with the option of providing access to a bulk-billed consultation with an after-hours GP via phone or video.
Healthdirect, which currently operates a 24-hour advice line, does not currently offer telehealth GP consultations in all areas.
RACGP President Dr Michael Wright welcomed the announcement, which he said was a positive step towards ensuring access to care.
“It will help more GPs across Australia provide after-hours care on weekends and during the week,” he said.
“After-hours care is a key part of what GPs do in communities nation-wide every day, and this announcement recognises that. We look forward to understanding the detail of this program, and working with the Government to make sure that general practice is consulted every step of the way.
“It is essential that this service integrates with existing general practice care.”
Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA) chief executive officer Ken Griffin also welcomed the expansion of the service.
“It shows that there’s a need to have nurses providing that assessment and triage role, to ensure that we’re using doctors who are part of the service and that can be referred to if there’s a need for that…that we’re respecting using those doctors time as well.”
“We need to understand that it’s essentially a stop gap measure, for when someone doesn’t have another option.”
Health Minister Mark Butler claimed the service would help around 250,000 Australians avoid an unnecessary trip to a hospital emergency department.
Shadow Health Minister Anne Ruston said while the Liberals supported the announcement, the service would not replace the need for people to have a regular GP and be seen in person at other times.
What else is on the table this election?
Urgent care clinics
Fragmentation of care is a concern the AMA and RACGP have in regard to Labor’s promised urgent care clinics.
RELATED: More urgent care clinics ‘won’t fix patient care challenges
Federal Labor has committed $644 million to open an additional 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics across Australia, including six in WA, if re-elected.
Such a large expansion of urgent care clinics is one of the few big Labor election promises on health that the Liberals have not agreed to match.
RELATED: Urgent care clinics ‘more expensive than GPs’, report finds
However, Liberal leader Peter Dutton has said under a Coalition government existing clinics would be maintained and some others added.
Bulk billing
One of the key parts of Labor’s plan for health is a proposal to provide bulk billing incentives, which it says would allow nine out of 10 GP visits to be bulk billed by 2030.
The party has promised $8.5b Medicare funding if it is re-elected, which it claims would deliver an addition 18 million bulk billed GP appointments each year.
As part of the funding there would also be $265.2 million to expand GP training, with an extra 200 training places per year from 2026, increasing to an extra 400 places per year from 2028. A $30,000 junior doctor training incentive payment would also be introduced.
RELATED: Billions in bulk billing funding won’t make general practice cheaper
However, many GPs are concerned the incentives may not cover the rising costs of care and therefore not achieve such a goal.
The Liberals have promised to match the plan dollar-for-dollar.
RELATED: Could GPs earn $400k a year?
Rural healthcare
Commitments from both major political parties to boost Australia’s rural workforce have been welcomed by the RACGP.
The Coalition has announced an additional $100 million for rural healthcare for additional Commonwealth Supported Places (CSPs) and upgrading regional medical training facilities across Australia.
While Labor has promised $45 million for 100 new medical CSPs per year from 2026, increasing to 150 from 2028.
A re-elected Labor government would also see $200 million of Federal funding going towards a $355million revamp of St John of God Midland Public Hospital.
RELATED: The PM’s $200 million promise for St John of God Midland
PBS medicines
The major parties have, for the most part, matched many of the health promises like-for-like, including putting a $25 cap on most PBS medicines
This is a reduction from the current maximum cost for most PBS medicines of $31.60.
Labor has made $1 billion worth of mental health commitments, which includes providing 31 new and upgraded Medicare Mental Health Centres, including in Western Australia where free mental health services would be available on a walk-in basis.
The party has said this would help to relieve pressure on subsidised services provided by private psychologists.
The Liberals have promised to reinstate the 20 subsidised psychology sessions that were previously been available to Australians during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Greens
The Greens, a party which may have leverage by holding the balance of power after the election, would push for dental to be covered by Medicare.
The party has also promised to ensure fair pay for GP trainees so more doctors choose general practice, ensure patient’s can see a GP for free, make mental healthcare free by removing the cap on subsidised sessions, and include ADHD and autism assessments under Medicare.
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