Anthony Albanese unveils three big changes to Medicare after national cabinet meeting: Australians get a ‘MyMedicare ID’
- Anthony Albanese announces Medicare reforms
- The health minister said the system was not fit for purpose
- Every Aussie now receives a MyMedicare ID
Anthony Albanese has detailed his administration’s Medicare reforms — including a “patient ID” system, giving nurses and pharmacists more power in primary care and improving out-of-hours care.
Following a national cabinet meeting on Friday, Mr Albanese announced that states had endorsed his $2.2 billion plan to bolster Medicare – after Health Secretary Mark Butler announced earlier this year that the system was no longer fit for purpose .
The prime minister says the new measures will improve access to out-of-hours care, expand nursing staff and reduce rising costs in national disability insurance.
A patient ID system called MyMedicare will also be introduced as part of six reform measures outlined in the national cabinet.
The ID system is intended to help Aussies register with their local doctor and help the government understand the issues that force people to seek medical attention.
Anthony Albanese announced that the states had endorsed his $2.2 billion plan to strengthen Medicare
A patient ID system called MyMedicare will also be introduced as part of six reform measures outlined in the national cabinet
Mr Albanese said health would be the main focus for the national cabinet for 2023, with sector reforms to be discussed at a meeting in the last quarter of the year.
‘One of the cases observed is patients who regularly visit the emergency department. We want to make sure there’s registration so we can get in touch,” he told reporters on Friday.
The national cabinet also discussed the National Disability Insurance and promised a framework to ensure it becomes more financially viable.
Mr. Albanese said the NDIS is currently unsustainable and will be the biggest expense to the federal budget.
More than $720 million has been pledged to strengthen the capacity of the agency responsible for the scheme to better support participants.
“We need to have a sustainable growth trajectory for the NDIS to support equality and fairness for all Australians living with a disability, including those who do not qualify for the NDIS,” said Mr Albanese.
“We want to make sure that the promise of the NDIS is fulfilled.”
The NDIS framework calls for a target of no more than eight percent annual growth in the cost of the scheme by July 2026.
The prime minister says the new measures will improve access to out-of-hours care, expand nursing staff and reduce rising costs in national disability insurance
State and territory leaders also agreed to support plans for the national cabinet to develop reforms to improve tenant rights.
“What we’re not trying to do is be absolutely uniform because different states will have different conditions, but there are measures and commitments that every state and every territory is doing something in this area,” Albanese said.
“There are a range of measures that will be considered by state and territory governments to strengthen the tenant rights system.”
Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley previously said the Medicare system needed more support.
“Fighting over the state prime ministers has become a bit of a national sport,” she said.
“People need access to doctors, and absolutely, that discussion is vital today. We must have our healthcare system back to the way it was.’
It was the first national cabinet meeting for newly elected NSW Prime Minister Chris Minns, leaving Tasmanian Prime Minister Jeremy Rockliff as the only Liberal leader in the group.
The national cabinet also discussed national skills agreements, the transition to net-zero and support for the referendum on indigenous votes.