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senate vote 2017-11-29#9
Edited by
mackay staff
on
2017-12-17 16:59:43
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Title
Motions — Medicare- Motions - Medicare - Condemns Government
Description
<p class="speaker">Murray Watt</p><p>I move:</p><p class="italic">That the Senate—</p>- The majority voted in favour of a motion in relation to supporting Medicare.
- Motions like these don't change the law, but they can be politically influential as they represent the will of the Senate.
- ### Motion text
- > *That the Senate—*
- > *(a) notes that:*
- >> *(i) figures released by the Department of Health this week show that people living in regional Australia are less likely to be bulk-billed for a GP visit, compared with those living in metropolitan cities,*
- >> *(ii) people living in regional Australia pay more to access a GP, and that their out-of-pocket costs have increased since the 2016 election,*
- >> *(iii) people living in regional Australia are around 20 per cent more likely to skip or delay seeing a GP because of the cost,*
- >> *(iv) electorates held by The Nationals have some of the lowest bulk-billing rates in the country, including the electorates of Page ranked 104th, Flynn ranked 111th, Capricornia ranked 112th, and Dawson ranked 115th,*
- >> *(v) more than 550 000 Australians living in electorates held by The Nationals will pay more tax under The Nationals' plan to unfairly increase the Medicare levy on low-income earners,*
- >> *(vi) the Government is yet to lift any part of their Medicare freeze – rebates for GPs, specialists and allied health services all remain frozen, and*
- >> *(vii) the Government's freeze is doing $2.2 billion in damage to Medicare – a cut to the pockets of patients every time they visit a GP, every time they visit a specialist, and every time they receive a Medicare allied health service;*
- > *(b) calls on the Government to guarantee:*
- >> *(i) immediate and annual indexation of Medicare rebates that have been frozen by this Government,*
- >> *(ii) proper Commonwealth investment in public hospitals, so that all Australians can access acute care without financial or other barriers, and*
- >> *(iii) that savings from the Medicare Benefits Schedule Review and agreements with stakeholders will be reinvested in Medicare, and not used as an excuse for further cuts; and*
- > *(c) condemns the Government for neglecting vital Medicare services in rural and regional Australia.*
<p class="italic">(a) notes that:</p><p class="italic">(i) figures released by the Department of Health this week show that people living in regional Australia are less likely to be bulk-billed for a GP visit, compared with those living in metropolitan cities,</p><p class="italic">(ii) people living in regional Australia pay more to access a GP, and that their out-of-pocket costs have increased since the 2016 election,</p><p class="italic">(iii) people living in regional Australia are around 20 per cent more likely to skip or delay seeing a GP because of the cost,</p><p class="italic">(iv) electorates held by The Nationals have some of the lowest bulk-billing rates in the country, including the electorates of Page ranked 104th, Flynn ranked 111th, Capricornia ranked 112th, and Dawson ranked 115th,</p><p class="italic">(v) more than 550 000 Australians living in electorates held by The Nationals will pay more tax under The Nationals' plan to unfairly increase the Medicare levy on low-income earners,</p><p class="italic">(vi) the Government is yet to lift any part of their Medicare freeze – rebates for GPs, specialists and allied health services all remain frozen, and</p><p class="italic">(vii) the Government's freeze is doing $2.2 billion in damage to Medicare – a cut to the pockets of patients every time they visit a GP, every time they visit a specialist, and every time they receive a Medicare allied health service;</p><p class="italic">(b) calls on the Government to guarantee:</p><p class="italic">(i) immediate and annual indexation of Medicare rebates that have been frozen by this Government,</p><p class="italic">(ii) proper Commonwealth investment in public hospitals, so that all Australians can access acute care without financial or other barriers, and</p><p class="italic">(iii) that savings from the Medicare Benefits Schedule Review and agreements with stakeholders will be reinvested in Medicare, and not used as an excuse for further cuts; and</p><p class="italic">(c) condemns the Government for neglecting vital Medicare services in rural and regional Australia.</p> <p class="speaker">James McGrath</p><p>I seek leave to make a short statement.</p> <p class="speaker">Scott Ryan</p><p>Leave is granted for one minute.</p> <p class="speaker">James McGrath</p><p>The coalition government has just announced record high bulk-billing rates, at 85.9 per cent, up from 82.2 per cent in 2012-13. We have compacts with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and the Australian Medical Association to restore indexation, investing $1 billion from 1 July 2017. The coalition government is delivering record investment in Medicare, rising from $23 billion in 2017-18 to $28 billion in 2020-21, up from $19 billion in 2012-13 under Labor. Commonwealth funding for state and territory hospitals is also at record levels. In the regions, bulk-billing rates continue to grow, year on year. We have recently appointed Australia's first National Rural Health Commissioner and announced additional support for rural telehealth services.</p> <p class="speaker">Scott Ryan</p><p>The question is that motion No. 609 standing in the name of Senator Watt be agreed to.</p><p class="italic"> <i>Senator Dodson did not vote, to compensate for the vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator Parry</i></p><p class="italic"> <i>Senator Farrell did not vote, to compensate for the vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator Nash</i></p><p class="italic"> <i>Senator Smith did not vote, to compensate for the vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator Xenophon</i></p>
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