Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised Australians that “all you need is your Medicare card, not a credit card” and that it would be “free to see a GP”.
He made this promise at least 71 times.
But new data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has revealed that Australians paid a staggering $166 million in combined out-of-pocket costs in just one month – May 2025.
In total, Australians have forked out more than $2.2 billion to see a GP in the past year alone, while the Prime Minister was busy waving his Medicare card around for the cameras.
This is Anthony Albanese’s $2 billion lie.
It follows Health Minister Mark Butler’s concession on the Today show this week that Australians will continue to need their credit card as well as their Medicare card - stating “we never said there would be 100% bulk billing.”
Labor promised to strengthen Medicare. Instead, they have used it as a disgraceful political ploy.
In fact, Medicare has only been weakened by the Albanese Labor Government, according to every metric.
Since Anthony Albanese was elected, the GP bulk billing rate has dropped by 11%. It was 88.5% when the Coalition left Government. It is now 77.8%.
At the same time, out-of-pocket costs are now at a record high – with Australians paying an historic average of $48.16 every time they seek advice from their GP.
The reality is clear. More Australians are being forced to pay more than ever before just to see a doctor – and many are now avoiding the GP altogether because they simply cannot afford it.
Anthony Albanese lied to Australians about Medicare. He misled voters in a desperate attempt to hide his Government’s failures—and now families are paying the price.
He must be held accountable.
While Labor focuses on lies and spin, the Coalition will stay focused on how to fix the damage — to ensure every Australian has timely, affordable access to the healthcare they need.
ENDS
@Anne_Ruston
/AnneRuston