We asked for a health budget and they delivered
The first full budget since the Labor Government came to power delivered significant wins for health, many of which were a direct result of AMA policy and advocacy.
The 2023 federal budget delivered billions of dollars for the health system, with primary care set to receive some big injections of funding, along with reforms for the future of general practice.
Responding to the budget, AMA President Professor Steve Robson said the AMA had been calling on the government to make this budget a health budget, and it had clearly listened with a strong focus on supporting general practice.
“Tonight’s budget outlined in some detail how the previously committed $750 million secured by the AMA as an election commitment would be spent, while also detailing significant new funding over and above this that will go straight towards addressing the viability crisis facing general practices and tackling out of pocket costs for patients,” Professor Robson said.
“The budget includes $3.5 billion to triple the bulk billing incentives for concession card holders and children under 16, with this applying to most GP consultations. For many of our members, including those in rural and regional areas, this will be a significant boost.”
This measure will commence on 1 November 2023.
The AMA has been running a strong and consistent campaign on the issue of Medicare indexation and the impact of the Medicare freeze — calling for additional indexation beyond the annual process.
“This ongoing advocacy has succeeded, with a new formula for indexing Medicare rebates that will deliver an extra $1.5 billion over and above the former framework that had been in place since 1996 and saw the value of a patient’s rebate fall significantly in real terms,” Professor Robson said.
It includes a ‘top up’ to the 1 July indexation process via additional indexation on 1 November. It is important to note that this top up on 1 November, and the new methodology going forward for future indexation, is not limited to just GP items, but rather all items that undergo usual annual indexation – including those used by private non-GP specialists.
Speaking at Parliament House after the budget was announced Professor Robson said he was delighted the government had listened to what the AMA had been saying to them for a long time.
“There are also other important incentives and initiatives tonight, like making medicines more affordable for Australians, vaping, all sorts of initiatives. So it has been a health budget. The government has listened to the AMA's requests and we're very, very happy tonight.”
“Despite these positive steps, there’s also a great deal of unfinished business in our health system. As the government approaches its second year in office, we know that much more work is required in areas such as public hospital funding, prevention and supporting a sustainable private health care system, and I will advocate to government on these issues every day.”
