The Albanese Labor government clearly laid out its priorities in the recent election, and it gave our communities a clear choice. One of those priorities was health. We have proudly showed our accomplishments so far and our ambitious plans to make things better. I believe this passion for health resonated with many. Whether you're on your own or have a family, health is always the biggest issue in your life.

We are improving all aspects of the health system. Whether it's an occasional doctor's visit or a life-threatening emergency, we want to make sure the system works better for people who use it and need it. We've made a massive $6.1 billion investment in Medicare and started work on the rollout of Medicare urgent care clinics and Medicare mental health centres. My community will benefit from both a Medicare urgent care clinic and a mental health centre, which was an election commitment at the last election. When the government's $1.4 billion investment in urgent care clinics is fully implemented, it's estimated that four out of five Australians will live within a 20-minute drive of one of these clinics. I look forward to being at the opening of the clinic in my electorate soon.

Medicare has been one of Labor's greatest achievements, and Australians have entrusted us to protect and strengthen it. Today's bill is part of the government's work to do that. The Health Insurance (Pathology) (Fees) (Repeal) Bill 2025 will implement the Albanese government's budget commitment to remove fees imposed on the pathology sector for the approval of certain categories of accreditation applications. The removal of these fees is required to address the findings of the 2022 Health Portfolio Charging Review, which identified the fees charged under the Health Insurance (Pathology) (Fees) Act 1991 which do not align with the Australian Government Charging Framework (2015). In fact, the fees were found to exceed the administrative cost of processing the applications.

This bill will repeal the pathology fees act, which specifies the fees that must be paid for the acceptance and approval of the following three categories of accreditation applications: an approved pathology practitioner, an approved pathology authority and an accredited pathology laboratory. The approval of these applications allows the providers of pathology services to claim Medicare benefits for rendering those services.

The bill will also make consequential amendments to the Health Insurance Act 1973, which prescribes the payment for fees for acceptance and approval of the applications. The bill provides fee relief and reduces the administrative burden on the pathology sector, as well as retaining the requirements for pathology service providers to meet accreditation requirements. These accreditation obligations will remain unchanged to ensure the quality and safety of pathology services provided under Medicare is maintained.

The bill applies retrospectively, with measures taking effect on 1 July 2025. The Albanese government has conducted consultation with the pathology sector in preparing the legislation, including the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia, Australian Pathology and Public Pathology Australia. The bill is in addition to the $509.8 billion of funding for the sector included in this year's budget. This includes a $174 million investment to increase the Medicare rebate for many common pathology tests for the first time in 25 years, as well as adding PCR tests for COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses to Medicare. This means that Medicare rebates will rise each year for labour-intensive pathology tests. This will support the pathology workforce and allow funding to flow through to increase wages. Technological advances continue to drive down the cost of providing other pathology tests. As new technologies get cheaper over time, they will become more commonplace.

We know Australians want to see pathology services continue to be bulk-billed. I spoke with many constituents in my own community who've expressed concerns at the prospect of rising costs. That is why it is good that less than one per cent of tests provided outside hospitals are not bulk-billed, and this investment will ensure that it stays that way. Our priority is to ensure that all Australians have access to affordable health care, and that is why we are continuing to invest in strengthening Medicare.

I commend the bill to the House.

Link to Hansard: Full Speech