Minister for Health and Aged Care - press conference - 11 February 2025

MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND AGED CARE, MARK BUTLER: Today, we're releasing the latest bulk billing figures that again show our record investment in bulk billing has been successful in arresting the free fall that we encountered when we came to government. The Medicare rebate was frozen for six long years, something that Peter Dutton kicked off when he was the Health Minister, because he said he thought there were “too many free Medicare services.”
 
Our record investment in bulk billing in the 2023 Budget not only has stopped the slide in bulk billing services but has seen a rise in every single state and territory and to the end of last year delivered an additional 6 million free visits to the doctor which has been an extraordinary relief to all of those Australians. On top of the 1.1 million patients who've gone through our Urgent Care Clinics, again, fully bulk billed. We know there's more to do in bulk billing. For Labor, bulk billing is the beating heart of Medicare, but what we have done so far is making a meaningful difference.
 
JOURNALIST: There's some Cleanbill data that shows bulk billing rates are actually dropping, especially for the under 35 age group, and the RACGP today calling for bulk billing to be expanded to cover under 35s. Is that something you'd consider?
 
BUTLER: I welcome the dialog with the College of GPs. They're really the people who sounded the alarm on the impact of Peter Dutton's freeze to the Medicare rebate. Some years ago, they said that if you freeze doctors’ incomes while their costs continue to rise, it should be no surprise the bulk billing rates start to slide. At the end of the day that was the intent that Peter Dutton had. He said he thought there were too many free Medicare services. We partnered with the College of GPs to triple the bulk billing incentive. That was their ask. We delivered it in the 2023 Budget, and they said it would be a game changer, and it has. It stopped that free fall, and it's seen a rise in bulk billing in every state and territory.
 
I've said over the course of the last several weeks, of course Labor will take to the next election a strong Medicare policy. We created Medicare. We fought for it every step of the way over the last 41 years. People would be surprised if we didn't take a strong Medicare policy. And of course, we'll be talking closely, deeply with the College of GPs, with the AMA and with patient groups about what that should look like.
 
JOURNALIST: What are you going to do to strengthen Medicare heading into the next election?
 
BUTLER: We’ll have more to say about that between now and the election. Only on Sunday, I announced, along with Katy Gallagher and Ged Kearney, a $573 million policy that frankly, undid decades of neglect for women's health. The first listing of a new contraceptive oral pill in more than 30 years, two of them with the possibility of a third coming. The first listing of new menopause hormone treatments in 20 years, followed the first listing of a new endometriosis drug in December in more than 30 years. Along with increased Medicare rebates that we think will drive a bulk billing rate of about 100 per cent for women who want to have a consult about an IUD or implant contraceptive. We've been rolling out a lot about a stronger Medicare, and we'll have a lot more to say between now and the election.
 
JOURNALIST: Are you confident that the Australian Government can secure a carve out with the threat with the imposition of trade tariffs that Donald Trump has announced?
 
BUTLER: I know that Prime Minister Albanese will be strongly advocating Australia's national interest when he talks with the President sometime today. That call was scheduled before the President made his announcement about steel and aluminium tariffs. But we know the case hasn't changed from the case that the former government put to the US some years ago. Our exports of steel and aluminium feed directly into the US supply chains and underpin high paying strong US jobs. Our interests are deeply entwined here, and Prime Minister Albanese will be going strongly into that for Australia's interest.
 
JOURNALIST: A number of Coalition senators have supported Pauline Hanson's bid for a fresh inquiry into treatment of transgender children. What's your response to that, is that something we need?
 
BUTLER: The Coalition is clearly deeply divided on this. I thought that Peter Dutton, as the leader of the Coalition, made it clear that he didn't want division and politics played around this question. I asked the NHMRC, the National Health and Medical Research Council, to conduct a review and issue new clinical guidelines for the treatment of trans and gender diverse children and teenagers. That's their statutory charter set out in their legislation. They've got decades of experience in this matter. They are undoubtedly the preeminent authority to issue clinical guidelines in this area. Now, anyone who doesn't accept that set out there in law and in decades of history in this country, anyone who doesn't accept that is simply playing politics with the lives and the health, importantly, the mental health, of some of Australia's most vulnerable young people.
 
JOURNALIST: Just quickly on the tariffs, the Coalition is suggesting this morning that it might be useful to tap Scott Morrison, Joe Hockey and others on the shoulder who might already have a positive relationship with Donald Trump to try and help lobby to get Australia an exemption. Is that something the government would be open to, or could be helpful?
 
BUTLER: I'll leave that question to the Prime Minister and the relevant ministers. I know that all Australians will be cooperating in a way that furthers Australia's national interest. Obviously, the Prime Minister leads that, as the Prime Minister has in previous governments. He'll be arguing for that strongly with the President today and his call will be in Australia's national interest. He'll be arguing very strongly that Australia's national interest is complimentary with the US national interest in this area. Steel and aluminium exports feed directly into US jobs and any impact on Australia's exports will impact US jobs. We will be making that case very strongly. Thanks very much.