Budget brings some wins but many gaps for general practice

Budget brings some wins but many gaps for general practice

15 May 2026

The President said there were a few positive announcements, but overall the Budget did not deliver major reform for healthcare and was seen as a missed opportunity in key areas.

One of the main positives was funding for GP health checks for three-year-old children. This is something the profession has been advocating for since earlier child health checks were removed more than a decade ago. These checks are expected to help identify developmental and health issues early and connect families with support services.

There was also support for a digital child health record. While this is welcomed, it will take time to build and will need to work smoothly with existing systems so it does not add extra burden for families or GPs.

Another major announcement was funding for public hospitals following the National Health Reform Agreement. While this funding is important, there are concerns it will still not fully meet demand, with hospitals continuing to face pressure and long wait times.

However, the President said the Budget did not go far enough in addressing deeper system problems, especially in general practice. There was little progress on Medicare reform, including the need to better support longer consultations for patients with complex and chronic conditions.

There were also concerns about changes affecting private healthcare, including reduced incentives for older Australians to hold private health insurance. This could increase pressure on public hospitals.

The Budget also included a small investment in improving transparency around specialist fees, but further reform was called for to better support patients facing high out-of-pocket costs.

On prevention, the Budget did not include a tax on sugar-sweetened drinks, which had been proposed as a way to improve public health and generate funding for health programs.

Overall, the President said more structural reform is still needed to modernise Medicare and strengthen both public and private healthcare systems. Further work is expected through upcoming policy reviews.


https://www.ama.com.au/

Source: President’s Update (Federal Budget commentary)

Categories

Popular Posts

Recent Posts

Tags