The Australian Medical Association has launched its 2025 federal election platform, calling for immediate action to Modernise Medicare and lift our public hospitals out of logjam.
The AMA is also seeking commitments from political parties to address growing threats to private health sector sustainability and calling for a greater focus on preventive health by implementing a sugar tax.
As part of its Modernise Medicare campaign, the AMA will this week also release new animations that will be shown in GP practices in marginal electorates across Australia, and has added an interactive website enabling patients and doctors to understand what is needed by the next government to fix Medicare.
AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen said it was clear health would be a major theme of this year's election campaign, with commitments already announced by major parties in recent weeks.
"The bulk billing funding announced by both major parties and included in the March budget will help address affordability issues for some who don't currently qualify for bulk billing incentives — but it is not a comprehensive solution to Australia's growing chronic disease burden," Dr McMullen said.
"The AMA's Modernise Medicare campaign proposes a new seven-tier rebate structure to support patients to spend more time with their GP as part of a comprehensive approach to care, costing $4.5 billion over four years. This will create a Medicare that provides more time, more care, and more health."
The platform also calls for a new national health reform funding agreement to end the hospital logjam, with an additional $12.5 billion from the federal government and $15.3 billion from states and territories over four years.
"We are seeking a strong commitment from whoever forms government to immediately get back to the negotiating table to strike a new National Health Reform Agreement to address the critical logjam in our public hospitals," Dr McMullen said.
In addition, the AMA is calling for the establishment of a private health system authority, costing $146.9 million over four years, to drive meaningful reform and ensure patients get real value from their private health insurance.
"We have seen major issues in the private health system, with private hospitals closing or restricting services; declining rebates as a proportion of premiums, and frequent funding disputes between insurers and hospitals," Dr McMullen said.
"Current regulatory and legislative frameworks are not fit-for-purpose. A new independent authority would create a platform for all the key players in the sector to come together and make once-in-a-generation reforms."
The AMA's platform also includes a call for a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages through the AMA's "Sickly Sweet" campaign, which would drive down annual sugar consumption by 2kg per person while raising $3.6 billion in government revenue over the forward estimates.
"Our entire health system is being impacted by rising rates of chronic disease. The political party that wins government has the opportunity to tackle obesity and chronic disease through a tax on sugary drinks, which would also boost the budget bottom line."
The AMA is also proposing an independent national health workforce planning agency, costing $182.6 million over four years and an expansion of the Workforce Incentive Program (WIP) to enable more nurses and allied health professionals to work in general practice.
"Our Modernise Medicare campaign is calling for a $401.4 million investment over four years to expand the WIP, enabling practices to employ the nurses and allied health professionals they need to deliver timely and accessible care for patients," Dr McMullen said.
"We also need really solid evidence-based planning on workforce to ensure Australia's medical workforce is distributed where it's needed, improving access to healthcare for all Australians. The impact of the loss of Health Workforce Australia in 2014 can be seen in the workforce issues we are facing now."
"The strength of evidence clearly informed the significant commitments from both major parties to boost GP training places and we need to see this evidenced-based approach applied across the whole medical workforce," Dr McMullen said.
