Bulk billing rates continue to reach historic highs under the Coalition Government despite the scare campaigns of Labor.

Member for Hume Angus Taylor says nowhere is this more evident than in his own electorate where bulk billing rates are actually higher than the national average.

Bulk billing in Hume has increased in the past three years since the Coalition has been in government.

Bulk billing in the Hume electorate in 2011-2012 under Labor was 85.2 per cent of all visits to the doctor. In 2014-2015 under the Coalition bulk billing rates have increased to 87.6 per cent.

This is higher than the national average of 84.3 per cent. Mr Taylor said the figures speak for themselves, with more patients accessing bulk billing services when they visit a doctor.

“The fact bulk billing rates in Hume are actually higher than the national average is good news because it means people in our region are accessing crucial health services when they are unwell,” Mr Taylor said.

Mr Taylor points to a wonderful example of how bulk billing has transformed health care services in his electorate following the appointment of the only GP in the Southern Tablelands village of Gunning almost 12 months ago.

Dr Ruth McCracken started practicing in Gunning last year after the local health care centre had struggled to find a permanent doctor to work in the growing community for some time.

Dr McCracken offers a bulk billing service to all her patients who would have otherwise had to travel half an hour to either Goulburn, Yass or Crookwell to see a GP.

With demand for the service booming, Dr McCracken has increased her availability to four days to cope with some 400 patients now on her books and Gunning Community Care management is now on the hunt for another doctor to meet the growing needs of residents.

Gunning Community Care executive officer, Alison Colebrook, said the presence of a bulk billing doctor in town is so necessary in rural communities, especially a growing one like Gunning which has a high population of young families.

She said before the appointment of Dr McCracken families would often delay or put off altogether a trip out of town to the doctor -to the detriment of their own health.

Mr Taylor said the Coalition is investing on average $5 billion more into Medicare every year than Labor ever did.

“The Coalition is increasing its Medicare investment to $26 billion a year by 2020-21 to ensure we build a healthier Medicare system,” he said.

“The Turnbull Government is undertaking revolutionary reforms recommended and led by doctors and patients themselves to build a healthier Medicare.

“By contrast Labor cut billions from Medicare in Government and waged class warfare on doctors wages to justify it.

“The Coalition is focussed on building a 21^st Century health system focussed on patients, while Labor is simply focussed on politics.”

Some examples of how the Coalition is building a healthier Medicare system:

·         We’re introducing our revolutionary reforms such as Health Care Homes – a new way to care for the chronically ill - at the direct request of GPs.

·         We’re undertaking a review of all 5700 Medicare items at the direct request of GPs and Specialists.

·         We’re protecting bulk billing for vital tests at the direct request of pathologists while building a Healthier Medicare.

·         We’re investing $95 billion over five years into public hospitals.