With bulk-billing options plummeting across the country and millions of people delaying healthcare due to cost concerns, the Greens have announced an ambitious plan to enable all Australians to go to the GP for free, as well as get free appointments with other primary healthcare professionals, at new Free Local Healthcare Clinics to be established in every electorate. The plan, part of the party's 'Robin Hood' reforms, will be paid for by taxing big corporations that are profiting off price gouging during a cost of living crisis.
The policy - which will provide significant cost of living relief to millions of people - will be announced by Greens Leader Adam Bandt, health spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John and Greens candidate Sophie Greer in the key Greens target seat of Perth on Thursday.
With a minority Parliament looming, the Greens say it is a key policy for the Party this election and will be on the table and pushed in any minority Parliament negotiations after the next election.
THE GREENS' PLAN FOR GP FOR FREE INCLUDES:
- FREE LOCAL HEALTHCARE CLINICS : The Greens will establish 1000 Free Local Healthcare Clinics across Australia, with government-employed healthcare professionals providing free services. There will be at least 6 Free Local Healthcare Clinics per electorate.
- GP, DENTIST, REGISTERED NURSE OR PSYCHOLOGIST: These Free Local Healthcare Clinics will allow people to access free healthcare with a GP, a dentist, a registered nurse or a psychologist with no out-of-pocket costs.
- TRIPLE THE BULK BILLING INCENTIVE FOR ALL: The Greens will ensure everyone, and not just specific cohorts, can access a bulk-billed GP appointment in private practice by tripling the bulk-billing incentive for everyone with a Medicare card.
- LONGER GP APPOINTMENTS: The Greens will support doctors to spend more time with
patients who need it by implementing a 20% increase to Medicare patient rebates for longer
appointments.
- TRAIN THE WORKFORCE: The Greens will support our trainee GP workforce to ensure that GP
trainees receive equal pay to their hospital trainee counterparts.
Each of these policies has been independently costed by the PBO. Based on this analysis, our plan would be expected to cost approximately $54b over the coming decade.
With the cost of living crisis smashing people across the country, the Greens will use the upcoming election campaign to highlight how the Labor and Liberal parties have rigged the system in favour of the big corporations, allowing 1 in 3 to pay no tax at all while others price gouge their way to record profits, while only offering pathetic, band aid solutions for people doing it tough.
With Labor and Liberal lacking the guts to take on the big corporations, the Greens say that change can only come by voting for it.
This election, the Greens are campaigning to hold their existing Senate seats and grow in the House of Representatives, in seats including Wills, Macnamara, Richmond, Sturt and Perth. In addition to stopping new coal and gas mines and ending native forest logging, the Greens will have a strong economic offering, centred around a series of 'Robin Hood Reforms' to tackle the housing and cost of living crises: a Big Corporations Tax on large companies' excessive profits will raise $514b over the decade, which will fund 'Dental into Medicare' (already announced) and 'GP for Free', as well as other measures to come.
A national poll funded by The Greens has shown that 74% of the people agree that the government should ensure people can go to the GP for Free.
In the power-sharing Parliament of 2010, the Greens secured dental into Medicare for children.
Lines from Mr Adam Bandt, Leader of the Australian Greens:
"1 in 3 big corporations pays no tax. The Greens will make big corporations pay their fair share of tax so you can see the GP for free.
"If you're worried about the cost of seeing a doctor, dentist or psychologist you're not alone.
"In a wealthy country like ours everyone should be able to get the healthcare they need, but more and more people are putting off health appointments because they can't afford it.
"Under Labor and Liberal, big corporations are price gouging and making massive profits, but everyday people are hurting.
"The Greens are fighting for outcomes for everyday people, and that means being able to see a GP, psychologist, dentist or nurse for free with your Medicare card.
"We can't keep voting for the same two parties and expecting a different result. If you want to see the GP for free, the first step is to vote for someone who'll fight for you."
Lines from Senator Jordon Steele-John, Greens Health spokesperson and Senator for WA:
"The Greens have a bold plan that will improve the health of our community, and bring down the cost of living.
"It's disgraceful that we're in a cost of living crisis where people are choosing between going to the doctor, paying rent and putting food on the table. This is why I am so pleased to announce our Greens plan that will see people being able to get back to the GP for free.
"I've heard from many people here in Perth that the cost of going to the GP is too high. In the Perth CBD, the average out of pocket costs to see a doctor is $48.64, and rising.
"The majority of adults with a Medicare Card are unable to find a bulk-billing appointment like they used to. We're seeing people skipping regular appointments, prioritising their kids appointments over their own health, or not following up test results because going to the doctor has become too expensive. This is exactly why we need to triple the bulk-billing incentive and establish Free Local Healthcare Clinics.
"We know that the future of general practice is in crisis. There's a problem with too few trainee doctors choosing General Practice. One of the key barriers to this is pay inequity. If a trainee chooses to undertake a GP traineeship they get paid less than their peers training in a hospital. With the cost-of-living so high, students are making a financial decision to pursue careers other than becoming a GP. This is why the Greens are announcing our commitment to the future of the GP workforce with our plan to offer pay-parity to trainee GPs.
"Today's announcement is the latest commitment from the Greens that will save the community thousands of dollars a year in healthcare costs. Our plan to go to the GP for Free sits alongside our plan to get dental health care and mental health care into Medicare; these will bring us closer to a universal healthcare system."
