Connecting Health

A re-elected Gillard Labor Government will modernise the health system and deliver better health services by providing Medicare rebates for online consultations across a range of specialties for the first time.

This investment will help people who live outside capital cities get the health care they need. In many cases it will save patients the time and expense of travelling long distances to see medical specialists, and will help them to see the right specialist sooner.

Federal Labor’s $392.3 million investment will provide:

1. $250.5 million to make Medicare rebates available for online consultations across a range of specialties, providing around 495,000 services over four years to rural, remote and outer metropolitan areas.
    
2. $56.8 million to provide GPs and specialists with financial incentives to participate in delivering online services.
    
3. $50 million to expand the GP after hours helpline and include the capacity for the helpline to provide online triage and basic medical advice via videoconferencing.
    
4. A $35 million fund to support training and supervision for health professionals using online technologies.

These initiatives will build on the Government’s historic health reforms that will see more hospital beds, record numbers of doctors and nurses, and shorter waiting times in public hospitals. This investment is the next building block in our health reforms.

Connecting Health Services Fact Sheet