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

Senator STEELE-JOHN (Western Australia) (12:39): Yes, I would. I move: At the end of the motion, add ", but the Senate: (a) notes that: (i) telehealth is an increasingly important part of Australia's health care system, and many people rely on telehealth to access healthcare when they are unable to attend appointments in person, (ii) to access a Medicare benefit for a telehealth consultation with a GP, a person needs to have had an in-person consultation with that practitioner within the previous 12 months, subject to very limited exceptions, (iii) for many disabled and chronically ill people, this in-person attendance requirement is prohibitive and can be a significant barrier to accessing affordable and ongoing healthcare, and (iv) for people living in rural and remote areas, the requirement can mean hours of travel, substantial costs and significant time away from work, family and other responsibilities to attend an in-person appointment; and (b) calls on the Government to update the telehealth rules for accessing Medicare benefits for GP appointments with a view to ensuring that disabled people, chronically ill people, and other people who cannot attend in-person appointments can access affordable and appropriate care".