Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced today that a re-elected Labor government will allocate $644 million for the establishment of additional Medicare urgent care clinics during the 2025/2026 financial year. This development aims to ensure that a significant majority of Australians will be within a 20-minute travel distance from a clinic, ultimately benefitting families needing immediate or ongoing healthcare.
Albanese highlighted that once the planned 50 new clinics are operational, approximately 80% of Australians will have easy access to bulk-billed services. The initiative will see 14 clinics opened in New South Wales, 12 in Victoria, 10 in Queensland, and several in other states, ensuring widespread service availability.
At present, Labor has successfully opened 87 urgent care clinics, which provide bulk-billed care for urgent but non-life-threatening conditions, operating with extended hours and without the need for an appointment. The federal government based the selection of clinic locations on an independent commissioning process.
In addition, Labor has committed to making free doctor visits available to the majority of Australians by 2030 as part of its broader multi-billion dollar Medicare initiative. Albanese revealed a plan involving an $8.5 billion investment over four years to support universal bulk-billing, targeting free GP visits for nine out of ten Australians. This strategy aims to increase the number of fully bulk-billed practices to around 4,800, potentially saving patients an estimated $859 million annually by 2030.
This commitment represents the largest investment in the Medicare system since its introduction in 1984. Currently, about 80% of general practitioners do not offer bulk-billing for standard consultations, making these proposed changes significant for many Australians.