Submission on Rural, Regional and Remote Medicare Access and Funding

ALGA has responded to the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee Inquiry into Rural, Regional and Remote Medicare Access and Funding to outline how councils are increasingly acting as the de facto safety net for primary and community healthcare.

Evidence from local governments across Australia indicates that current Medicare funding and workforce incentive settings are not sustaining viable services in many rural, regional and remote communities. This is leading to widening health inequities and significant cost shifting onto councils through practice subsidies, infrastructure support and workforce incentives.

ALGA’s submission calls for reforms to ensure Medicare and related funding are fair, workable and sustainable. ALGA urges action to ensure communities can access sustainable, community-appropriate services without further transferring costs and responsibilities to local government, supporting better health outcomes and stronger rural, regional and remote communities.