Health Insurance Amendment (Incentive Payments and Other Measures) Bill 2026

Ms COMER (Petrie) (18:47): I rise today in strong support of the Health Insurance Amendment (Incentive Payments and Other Measures) Bill 2026. This bill goes to the very heart of what Australians expect from their healthcare system and from a strong Labor government. It is about ensuring that every Australian, regardless of where they live and what they earn, can see a doctor when they need one without worrying about the costs.

That is what Medicare has always stood for. For more than four decades, Medicare has been one of Australia's greatest achievements. It reflects a simple but powerful belief that access to health care should be determined by your health needs, not by the size of your wallet.

It is a principle Australians overwhelmingly support and a principle Labor has always defended. The Albanese Labor government was elected with a clear commitment to strengthen Medicare after years in which Australians saw bulk-billing rates decline and out-of-pocket costs rise. Families told us that they were finding it harder to get an appointment.

Pensioners were delaying visits to the doctor because they were worried about the cost. Parents were making impossible decisions about whether they could afford to take their sick child to the GP. Those are decisions Australians should never have to make.

This government understands that strengthening Medicare means supporting both patients and the doctors who care for them. General practice sits at the centre of Australia's healthcare system. Every day, GPs diagnose illness, manage chronic disease, provide preventative health care and keep people out of hospital.

If we want a stronger health system, we must ensure that general practice remains viable and affordable, and this is exactly what this bill helps achieve. The legislation establishes a clear legislative framework for Commonwealth primary care incentive payment programs, including the Medicare Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program. These payments provide certainty for general practices while encouraging bulk-billing and ensuring Australians continue to have access to affordable, high-quality health care.

Importantly, this bill underpins one of the Albanese Labor government's biggest investments in Medicare. Our record $8.5 billion investment is the largest investment in Medicare since it was created. It is helping to restore bulk-billing, strengthen primary care and train the next generation of doctors and nurses, who will care for Australians well into the future.

This is not simply about spending money; it is about rebuilding confidence in Medicare. It is about ensuring Australians know that, when they become sick, they can see a doctor without worrying about whether they can afford it. The Albanese government expanded the bulk-billing incentive from 1 November 2025 so that every Australian is now eligible.

At the same time, practices that bulk-bill every patient receive an additional 12.5 per cent Medicare bulk-billing practice incentive payment. That matters because supporting bulk-billing is not simply about asking doctors to bulk-bill more patients; it is about recognising the pressures facing general practice and ensuring clinics have the support they need to continue providing affordable care.

Expanding the incentive recognises that every Australian, no matter your situation, deserves the best care possible. It also ensures that the doctors that do that work receive a fair incentive for the often critical work that they do. These reforms are practical and responsible, and most importantly they are already delivering results.

Across Australia, the latest quarterly data shows that the national GP bulk-billing rate has increased to 81.9 per cent, which is up 4.6 percentage points compared to the same period last year. In Queensland, the results have also been encouraging. The state's bulk-billing rate has increased to 79½ per cent, which is an increase of four percentage points over the last year.

That means hundreds of thousands more Queenslanders are seeing a doctor without paying an out-of-pocket fee. It means families are receiving care sooner, people are managing chronic illnesses before they become more serious and fewer Queenslanders are delaying health care because they are worried about the cost. These outcomes matter because every visit to a GP is an opportunity to detect illnesses earlier, prevent avoidable hospital admissions and improve long-term health outcomes.

Primary health care is not simply the front door of our healthcare system. When we invest in general practice, we strengthen the entire healthcare system. These reforms extend well beyond the national statistics.

There are now more than 3,800 fully bulk-billing practices across Australia, with over 1,400 clinics fully bulk-billing after previously operating as a mixed billing practice. As a result, about 97 per cent of Australians now live within a 20-minute drive of a fully bulk-billing practice. That is a remarkable improvement.

It reflects a government that understands health care should be available close to home and is prepared to make the investments necessary to rebuild Medicare. Importantly, these improvements have not happened by accident. They are the direct result of deliberate policy decisions.

The Albanese government recognises that, if we want to increase bulk-billing, we need to properly support general practice. That is why we've expanded bulk-billing incentives to every Australian. It is why we introduced an additional 12½ per cent practice incentive payment for clinics that choose to bulk-bill every patient for every visit.

These reforms are providing greater financial certainty for practices while ensuring patients receive affordable care. I'd call that a win-win. This bill provides the legislative certainty needed to ensure that these important incentive programs continue supporting Australia's primary healthcare system well into the future.

It strengthens Medicare not through slogans but through practical policy. It supports doctors, it supports clinics, and most importantly it supports Australian patients. As the federal member for Petrie, I measure the success of government policy by one simple question: is it making life better for the people I represent?

When I first stood as a Labor candidate for Petrie, health care was one of the issues I heard about the most. Whether I was doorknocking in Deception Bay, speaking with the young families in North Lakes, meeting retirees in Kippa-Ring or talking with the residents in Mango Hill or Carseldine, people consistently raise the same concerns. They told me it was becoming harder to find a bulk-billing doctor.

Parents spoke about delaying trips to the GP simply because they could not afford another medical bill. Older Australians told me the rising healthcare costs were placing increasing pressures on fixed incomes. These are not isolated stories; they reflect the reality facing families across our community.

I made a commitment that, if I were elected, I would fight for better health care close to home. I promised that strengthening Medicare would be one of my highest priorities, and, today, I am proud that we are delivering on that promise. Since October 2023, the GP bulk-billing rate across Petrie has increased from 72.8 per cent to 78 per cent.

That might seem like a simple statistic, but behind that increase are thousands of local GP appointments where families have been able to receive health care without reaching for their wallet except to grab out their Medicare card. Behind that increase are pensioners who can once again visit their regular doctor with confidence. Behind that increase are parents who can take their sick child to a GP without wondering how they're going to pay the bill.

I'm equally pleased that the number of fully bulk-billing clinics across Petrie has more than doubled. That means local families have more choice, greater confidence and better access to affordable health care close to home. It demonstrates that, when governments properly support general practice, doctors respond by bulk-billing more patients.

That is exactly what this legislation is designed to achieve. Our commitment to health care in Petrie extends well beyond bulk-billing. One of the achievements I am most proud of is opening the Medicare urgent care clinic in Deception Bay.

Before the clinic opened, too many local families forced the impossible choice. They could wait days or weeks for a GP appointment, spend hours in a busy emergency department for a non-life-threatening condition or pay hundreds of dollars at a private urgent care clinic. None of these options are good enough.

Today, local families have another choice: the Deception Bay Medicare urgent care clinic provides free, bulk-billed urgent care seven days a week with no appointment needed. Whether it's a child who needs stitches after falling off their bike, a suspected fracture, an ear infection or another urgent-but-non-life-threatening condition, people can now receive the treatment closer to home without worrying about the cost.

Since opening, the clinic has already cared for thousands of local patients. That means thousands fewer presentations to busy hospital emergency departments. It means families getting treatment sooner.

It means better health outcomes for our community. The clinic has been such a success that its opening hours have already extended to better meet the local demand. That tells us two things: first, that there was clearly an unmet demand for affordable urgent health care in our community, and second, that when governments invest in healthcare services when people need them, communities respond.

Petrie is one of the fastest-growing parts of Queensland. Every year, more families choose to call our wonderful community home. That growth brings opportunity, but it also brings increased demand for health care.

As our population grows, our healthcare system must grow with it. That is why the government's investment into Medicare matters so much. It is ensuring that communities like Petrie receive the healthcare infrastructure and services they deserve, not just today but for many years to come.

For me, this bill is about delivering on the promise I made to the people of Petrie. It is about ensuring local families can access affordable health care when they need it, and it is about building a stronger Medicare that will continue serving our growing community well into the future. The bill is about more than improving the health system today.

It is about ensuring Medicare remains strong for generations to come. As Australia's population continues to grow and age, the demand on our healthcare system will only increase. More Australians are living longer, and more Australians are managing chronic conditions.

Communities like Petrie continue to grow rapidly, with thousands of new families choosing to call our region home each year. That means we cannot afford to stay still. We need a government that is prepared to invest today so Australians continue to receive world-class health care tomorrow.

That is exactly what the Albanese Labor government is doing. This bill provides certainty for the primary care incentive programs that support general practice. It recognises that strong general practice is the cornerstone of a strong healthcare system.

When people can access affordable care early, illnesses are diagnosed sooner, chronic conditions are managed more effectively, and unnecessary hospital admissions are reduced. Every dollar invested into primary care strengthens our entire healthcare system. This government's record investment into Medicare extends well beyond bulk-billing alone.

We are training more doctors and nurses. We are making medicines cheaper through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. We have delivered Medicare urgent care clinics across the country, we are investing in our public hospitals in partnership with the states, and we are ensuring that general practice remains viable and an attractive profession for future generations of healthcare workers.

These are not isolated initiatives. They form part of a comprehensive plan to rebuild Medicare after years of decline. Labor has always believed that health care should never depend on your postcode or your bank balance.

That belief led the Whitlam government to begin the journey towards universal healthcare, and it was the Hawke government that delivered Medicare. Today, the Albanese Labor government is ensuring Medicare continues to meet the needs of Australians for the 21st century. We understand that Medicare cannot simply be preserved.

It must continue to evolve. It must continue to respond to the changing healthcare needs of Australians, and it must continue to be properly funded. That is why we have made the largest investment in Medicare's history.

Strengthening Medicare is not an expense; it is an investment. It is an investment into healthier communities, preventative care, reduced pressure on hospitals and the confidence that every Australian deserves that health care will be there when they need it most. As the member for Petrie, I've already seen what these investments mean on the ground.

I've spoken to parents who no longer have to worry about the cost of taking a sick child to the doctor. I've met older Australians who tell me they can once again see their GP without delaying appointments because of the cost. I've spoken with local doctors who welcomed the government's commitment to supporting general practice and strengthening Medicare.

Most importantly, I have seen growing confidence in our healthcare system. That confidence has not happened by chance. It has been built through action.

It has been built through higher bulk-billing rates, more fully bulk-billing clinics and the opening of the Deception Bay Urgent Care Clinic. Above all, it has been built by a government that has made health care one of its defining priorities. The thing about this bill is that the increases in funding don't discriminate based on area, nationality, income or any other factor.

This bill ensures that we are able to support any GP practice that wants to go bulk-billed no matter where it is. This bill ensures that programs all across the country are able to build on the great services they provide. It strengthens the partnership between the Commonwealth and the hardworking general practitioners.

It supports clinics to continue bulk-billing, and it helps ensure Australians can continue accessing high-quality healthcare regardless of their circumstances. For my community of Petrie, these reforms are already making a measurable difference. I support this bill and commend it to the House.