Sir Robert Menzie’s ‘forgotten people’ is a term that has stood the test of time. It is as true now as it was back in the 40s that the struggles of hardworking middle Australians are often overlooked when it comes to government support and the rhetoric of politics.
Right now, it is these Australians who are struggling to make ends meet amongst the pressures of Labor’s cost-of-living crisis. Their mortgages are skyrocketing, just the same as their energy bills and their grocery costs. Household budgets are being squeezed to the last drop.
When it comes to healthcare, I would argue that it is these Australians who are the forgotten patients.
For working Australians in particular, it has never been harder or more expensive to see a GP than it is right now.
We know that the rate of GP bulk billing has dropped dramatically under Labor’s watch. The Government can sugar coat their tripled bulk billing incentive, which targets children and concession card holders, all they want – But the reality is that the rate remains 11% lower than when the Coalition left government.
But it is even worse when you look at the accessibility for hardworking Australians. A recent report from the independent organisation Cleanbill found that only 20.7% of GP clinics across the country will bulk bill a new adult patient without a concession card.
It is those patients, who are not eligible for a concession card and cannot get access to bulk billed appointments, who are now facing the highest out-of-pocket costs on record.
In fact, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, patients are now paying 45% more in out-of-pocket costs under the Albanese Government.
It is clear that the gaps in the system have widened, and more and more struggling households are falling through the cracks.
This is forcing Australians to make the difficult decision to avoid seeing their doctor because they just cannot afford it. In this cost-of-living crisis, every dollar saved counts.
According to Cleanbill, more than 1.5 million Australians chose not to go to the doctor in 2023-24 because they were concerned about the cost.
This is a 25% increase on the year prior, and the health implications of this rising figure are extremely concerning.
This is not a choice that Australian households should be faced with.
Anthony Albanese was elected on a platform of “no one left behind” – But this is clearly another broken promise as millions of hardworking Australians are being left behind.
It is time that Albanese’s forgotten patients are supported to access the healthcare they need.
ENDS
Published by the Nightly on 24 January 2025
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