A re-elected Labor Government will introduce a free, 24/7 health advice line and afterhours GP telehealth service backed by Medicare.
In what would be a $204.5 million investment, existing Healthdirect services will be improved and expanded to every state and territory under one national service.
The service, 1800 MEDICARE, will launch from January 1, 2026 if the Labor Government is re-elected and will provide urgent General Practitioner care that can’t wait for your regular GP to be available.
The triage nurses will connect you to a free telehealth session with a 1800 MEDICARE GP via phone or video, available all weekend and weeknights between 6pm and 8am.
The existing government-funded Healthdirect service is available 24 hours a day and claims to have the support of every state and territory’s health service. Registered nurses answer calls and offer GP callbacks where possible.
It’s not known how the new service will differ vastly, but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was full of praise for the concept earlier this week.
“At this election Australia faces a clear choice: a stronger Medicare with more bulk billing and more free urgent care under Labor, or more cuts to Medicare under Peter Dutton’s Liberals,” he said.
“Life isn’t 9 to 5. With 1800 MEDICARE, neither is health care.
“Whether your family needs urgent or ongoing health care, under Labor, Medicare will be there for all Australians, in every community.”
Labor candidate for Lindsay Hollie McLean said the service will make a major difference for families in the local community.
“I know that there has been a facility like Healthdirect for a little while now, but it hasn’t been available everywhere and I think not a lot of people knew about it,” McLean said.
“I’ve used it for my son before and I know how great it is that if you’re at home alone with your kid overnight or your elderly parents call and aren’t feeling well, it’s nice to know you can just pick up the phone, have somebody who’s trained and to have that free, available through Medicare and available right across Australia.”
In response to the election commitment, the Coalition said they support additional access to timely healthcare but slammed Labor’s commitment to health care services.
“One of Anthony Albanese’s first acts was to cut more than 70 telehealth items from Medicare, including complex specialist consultations and GP consultations longer than 20 minutes,” Shadow Minister for Health Anne Ruston said.
“This is further evidence of Labor’s failure to deliver affordable and accessible health services for all Australians.
“Health has become another victim of Labor’s cost-of-living crisis. More than 1.5 million Australians could not afford to see a doctor last year under Labor, as bulk billing has collapsed by 11 per cent and out-of-pocket costs have reached the highest level on record.
“The Coalition is proud to have made telehealth universal and permanent— the single biggest reform to Medicare in recent history.”
Lindsay MP Melissa McIntosh said it was the previous Liberal Government that provided Telehealth services and labelled the announcement as “just one of Albanese’s lies”.
“It was the Coalition that brought in Telehealth and Labor cut it,” McIntosh said.
“This is typical Labor, they cut things, they repackage them, they re-announce them and then expect everyone to be so grateful. They’ve done this so many times in western Sydney.
“It’s hoodwinking western Sydney and it’s hoodwinking Australia.
“Labor cut the Medicare funded mental health sessions in half from 20 to 10. People are struggling with mental health in our country right now under this cost-of-living crisis caused by the Albanese Labor Government. We’ve committed to returning those mental health sessions.
“They talk about they’re the party for Medicare, that is absolutely just one of Albanese’s lies, which he does so well. I think they’ve been caught out on this, it was the Coalition that put in Telehealth.”
Emily Chate
Emily Chate joined The Western Weekender in 2024, and covers local news - primarily courts and politics. A graduate of the University of Wollongong, Emily has contributed to The Daily Telegraph and worked as a freelance journalist.