Federal election 2025: All the health pitches from Labor, the Coalition
Health has emerged as a key issue in the federal election campaign, with Labor and the Coalition trading accusations of mismanaging Medicare while pledging historic funding for the national health system.
The Albanese government has had to convince voters it can restore slumped bulk-billing rates, which has led to working Australians skipping GP appointments because of out-of-pocket costs.
Meanwhile, the opposition has had to convince voters it would not repeat the cost-cutting measures of previous Coalition governments that experts credit with causing the bulk-billing crisis.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.When it comes to who is doing what to help Australians stay healthy, here is what both major parties are pledging.
What they agree on
Bulk-billing boost: The Coalition will match Labor’s flagship $8.5bn plan to make 90 per cent of GP visits free.
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme cap: The Coalition will match Labor’s cap of $25 per prescription for medicines covered by the PBS, tipped to cost $689m over four years.
Telehealth expansion: The Coalition will match Labor’s $200m 24-hour telehealth service, dubbed “1800MEDICARE”.
Women’s health bump: The Coalition will match Labor’s $575m plan to add oral contraceptives, menopause hormone therapies, endometriosis and IVF drugs to the PBS, raise the Medicare rebate for getting an IUD from $91 to $215 and build 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.
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.
NT aged care: A new aged care home in Darwin as part of a $60m boost to Northern Territory health and aged care.
Aged care pay: A payrise for 60,000 aged care workers at $2.6bn.
LGBTQ+ care training: A $10m program to train primary healthcare for treating LGBTQ+ 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.
Rural healthcare: $100m toward fast-tracking healthcare providers and upgrading medical training facilities in regional Australia.
Medi-flights: $4.9m bump for charity Angel Flight, which operates medical flights in regional communities.
NT aged care: $60 million toward residential aged care infrastructure in the Top End.
Katherine post-natal centre: A $7.6m family care centre for Katherine, the fourth largest population centre in the Northern Territory.
Originally published as Federal election 2025: All the health pitches from Labor, the Coalition
