Labor is for Better Health
Labor is the party of Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, and prides itself on its record of delivering policies that help Australians when they need it most, regardless of income or background.
That's why Labor has invested more in health care than any previous government, making up for the lost time and money of the Howard years. This means more beds and shorter waits for hospital treatment and a focus on prevention with better access to your local GP.
Under Labor there are more doctors, more nurses and more GPs and nurses being trained. And it's easier to get your visit to the GP bulk billed under Labor, too.
Different communities have different health needs, and local communities deserve a say in how how their health care is run. Labor has established Medicare Locals to deliver better health services local communities. Medicare Locals are the newest part of Australia’s universal health system and are delivering things like GP after hours, immunisation programs, mental health services, and much more.
A person's dental health is often an indicator of their general health, and better dental care is a priority for Labor.
Labor's dental care package will mean it will be as easy to see a dentist as it is a doctor for 3.4 million kids and low-income earners. Public dental services are improving for pensioners and low income earners and under Labor's teen dental plan, more than 1.5 million dental check-ups have been provided.
There's now a strong focus on the mental health of Australians, with Labor investing in the nation's biggest ever mental health package.
One in four young Australians suffer mental health issues every year. In response, Labor has expanded the Headspace youth mental health program with 50 additional Headspace mental health services being rolled out in rural, regional and metropolitan areas. There are 90 Headspace sites across the country helping more than 70,000 young people every year.
The private health rebate is now fairer, with low and middle-income earners no longer subsidising the private health cover of high-income earners. This will free up $100 billion to be reinvested into better health services over the coming years.