Labor, Coalition and Greens healthcare policies compared
As election campaigns draw to a close, we compare what the three major parties have promised to deliver for the nation's health.
Labor has called Saturday's federal election a “referendum on Medicare”, with mental health, cheaper medicines, accessible dental and Urgent Care Clinics dominating campaigns across the three major parties, yet there has been very little discussion on the future of aged care.
Given that 2025 is bringing major reform for the sector, the lack of aged care specific policy announcements is somewhat surprising.
Since the passing of the new Aged Care Act in November, aged care issues have largely been passed-over by the major parties in the race to win the election, as they focus on the more universally appealing election strategy of overhauling Medicare.
To recap
March's budget announcements proved underwhelming for the sector, but Labor did include a $2.6 billion boost to the wages of aged care nurses and $291.6 million over the next five years to aid in the delivery and implementation of new reforms, with an additional $12.7 million to be allocated in 2029-30.
Since then the Albanese government has pledged a $60m boost to Northern Territory health and aged care, which the Coalition has matched.
The Coalition has consistently targeted Labor for ever expanding home care package waitlists, with Opposition health and aged-care spokeswoman Anne Ruston this week vowing the Coalition will bring wait times down to “zero” should it win the election on Saturday.
Let's compare
While aged care specific policy has been light-on this election, there has been a significant amount promised for health:
→ What they agree on
The Coalition has said that it will match the following Labor government health pledges:
- Bulk-billing boost: One of Labor’s first election promises was its flagship $8.5bn plan to make 90 per cent of GP visits free, the largest single investment in Medicare in its 41 years, tripling the current bulk billing incentive.
- Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme cap: A cap of $25 per prescription for medicines covered by the PBS, predicted to cost the government $689m over four years.
- Telehealth expansion: $200m for the delivery of a 24-hour telehealth service; 1800MEDICARE.
- Women’s health bump: In February, Labor announced a $575m plan for women's health, adding oral contraceptives, menopause hormone therapies, endometriosis and IVF drugs to the PBS, raising the Medicare rebate for IUDs from $91 to $215 and building 11 new endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics across the country, raising the number of clinics from 22 to 33.
- Men’s mental health: The Coalition will match Labor’s $32m pledge toward Movember, Men’s Sheds and male-specific mental health services.
- Healthcare hubs: The Coalition will match Labor’s pledge to fund healthcare hubs in Burnie, Tasmania and at Adelaide’s Flinders University.
- NT aged care: A new aged care home in Darwin as part of a $60m boost to Northern Territory health and aged care matched by the Coalition.
- Rural health care: The Coalition has matched Labor’s $100m towards fast-tracking medical students in the bush.
Picture: NCA Newswire/Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images
→ Labor
- Mental health: $1bn boost for headspace clinics and specialist centres for youth.
- Online mental health: $135.2m for online mental health support.
- Peri-natal mental health: $16.7m to bolster mental health support services for new parents.
- Fairfield Hospital: $80m to expand the emergency department at Fairfield Hospital in Sydney’s southwest.
- Rouse Hill Hospital: $120m toward a maternity ward at Rouse Hill Hospital being constructed in Sydney’s northwest.
- Perth hospital: $200m to revamp St John of God Midland Public Hospital in Perth.
- Urgent care clinics: $644m for 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics.
- Aged care pay: A pay rise for 60,000 aged care workers at $2.6bn.
- LGBTQIA+ care training: A $10m program to train primary healthcare for treating LGBTQIA+ patients.
→ Coalition
- Women’s health: A $5m review of women-specific items listed on the MBS and PBS.
- Mental health: $500m to raise Medicare-subsidised mental health sessions from 10 to 20.
- Youth mental health: $400m for youth mental health.
- Suicide prevention: A $15m boost to the National Suicide Prevention Research Fund.
- Medi-flights: $4.9m bump for charity Angel Flight, which operates medical flights in regional communities.
- Katherine post-natal centre: A $7.6m family care centre for Katherine, the fourth largest population centre in the Northern Territory.
→ The Greens
- Dental into Medicare: In the last minority government, the Greens achieved dental into Medicare for children, now they plan to cover dental health under Medicare for all Australians.
- Lower retirement age and higher age pension: The Party plan to lower the pension age from 67 to 65 and ensure recipients who benefit would receive an average of $18,000 more per year.
- ADHD and Autism assessments into Medicare: $181m to spare Australians the out-of-pocket costs associated with seeking diagnosis.
- Minister for Disability: The party has pledged to establish a Minister for Disability within the Federal Cabinet responsible for coordinating Federal disability services.
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