Q: You mentioned it there in a big part of your campaign obviously has been the bulk billing incentives which you say your modelling says it will get bulk billing rates to 90% by 2030. The AMA and the RACGP say they don’t see that sort of uplift. So that voters can actually test this claim of yours in the modelling, what does your modelling say bulk billing rates will get to by 2028?

Albanese:

The AMA haven’t always been great fans of the whole concept of Medicare. That’s the truth. So we’re not shocked that occasionally not every doctor comes on board there. But the reason why we are so confident is because this is not some academic exercise. In last year’s Budget, we tripled the bulk billing incentive for concession card-holders and what that has done is lift bulk billing rates up to well above 90%.

Doctors under our scheme will go from getting – if they’re in a fully bulk-billed clinic, will go from earning around about $280,000 to above $400,000. The modelling that we’ve done shows that it will be in their interests to have fully bulk-billed service and throughout the country, I’ve got to say I’ve spoken to doctors from Bridgewater in Tasmania to regional Queensland, Perth, Adelaide, who’ve said exactly that, that that is their intention, is that this change will make that difference.

Q: Your modelling must have a 2028 figure, though? A percentage improvement?

Albanese:

What we’ve got is a 2030 target of achieving that and it will go up between now, 2025, we’ll, of course, this is a measure that was in our Budget, that was funded and that is our objective by 2030.