AMA 2025 Federal Election Health Report Card

The AMA has assessed each of the health policy promises made by the Liberal/National Coalition, the Australian Labor Party, and the Australian Greens during the 2025 federal election against the five key pillars of the AMA’s Vision for Australia’s Health, assigning green where significant policy commitments have been made, orange where partial commitments have been made, and red where no commitments have been made or they do not align with AMA policy.

This assessment informs the AMA 2025 Federal Election Health Report Card.

Across the five key pillars of the AMA’s Vision for Australia’s Health, the AMA presents a summary of key promises made by the major parties on health as follows:

Key

Commitments aligned to the AMA’s election priorities
Partial commitment/some relevant policies to the AMA’s election priorities
No significant election policy announcements/not aligned to the AMA’s election priorities

Policy Pillars
Pillar 1 General practice	Prior to the election being called, Labor released details of an $8.5b funding package, including an expansion of GP bulk billing incentives, extra prevocational and specialist GP training places, and improved employment conditions for GP trainees.	Matched Labor’s $8.5b funding package in full.	Similarly propose the extension of GP bulk billing incentives while also committing to a 20 per cent increase to Medicare rebates for longer consultations. Also propose the establishment of 1,000 free local healthcare centres.
Pillar 2 Public hospitals	Previously agreed to a one-year extension of the current National Health Reform Agreement, including $1.7b in top-up funding. Entered the election with an existing commitment to increase the federal government’s share of public hospital funding in the next NHRA to 45 per cent of activity, as well as lifting the existing 6.5 per cent cap on growth funding. This was originally costed at $13b.	Committed to the $1.7b funding top-up accompanying the one-year extension of the NHRA. Has not made any other commitments in relation to NHRA funding.	$30.6b in additional funding through the NHRA for public hospitals with a 50/50 funding split and the removal of the 6.5 per cent cap on growth funding.
Pillar 3 Private health	$7m to increase non-GP specialist fee transparency through enhancements to the Medical Cost Finder website. This includes publication of private health insurer arrangements with specialists and how often patients pay out-pocket-costs for services not fully covered by their policy.	Will implement the commitment made by Labor.	Nil.
Pillar 4 A health system for all	$1b mental health package to support Medicare Mental Health Centres, new and upgraded Headspace services, youth specialist care centres and additional training places for mental health professionals and peer workers. $573.3m package announced in the lead-up to the election to support women’s reproductive health, providing better access to long-acting reversible contraceptives, oral contraceptive pills, menopausal hormone therapies, more endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics, and expanding their role to encompass menopause and perimenopause. $784.6m to lower the PBS co-payment from $31.60 to $25.	$900m mental health package, including a doubling of Medicare subsidised psychology services and expanded youth mental health services. Matched Labor’s women’s reproductive health package in full. Matched Labor’s commitment to lowering the PBS co-payment to $25.	Propose universal mental healthcare by expanding Medicare to cover more mental health professionals, removing session limits, increasing Medicare rebates, and expanding the peer workforce. Will make PBS medications free for concession card holders and reduce the PBS co-payment for all other Medicare card holders to $7.70.
Pillar 5 A health system for the future	100 additional Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP) for medical students per year from 2026, rising to 150 per year by 2028. These will be targeted at rural areas.	Matched Labor’s commitment and announced a further 200 CSPs that will be allocated to rural areas.	Propose including dental services in Medicare at a cost of $77.6b over 10 years.

Health policy promises of the Liberal/National Coalition, the Australian Labor Party, and the Australian Greens are as follows:

Pillar 1 General practice

Bulk billing	$7.9 billion to expand eligibility for bulk billing incentives to all Australians and for a new Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program.	$7.9 billion to expand eligibility for bulk billing incentives to all Australians and for a new Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program.	Expansion of GP bulk billing incentives while also committing to a 20 per cent increase to Medicare rebates for longer consultations.
GP training	$265.2 million from 2025–26 to expand the Australian General Practice Training Program with an extra 200 training places per year from 2026, increasing to an extra 400 places per year from 2028.	$265.2 million from 2025–26 to expand the AGPT with an extra 200 training places per year from 2026, increasing to an extra 400 places per year from 2028.	Nil.
Equitable working conditions for GP trainees	$204.8 million from 2025–26 for salary incentives for doctors-in-training who specialise in general practice. $43.9 million from 2025–26 to provide paid parental leave and study leave for GP trainees.	$204.8 million from 2025–26 for salary incentives for doctors-in-training who specialise in general practice. $43.9 million from 2025–26 to provide paid parental leave and study leave for GP trainees.	Will close the pay gap for GP trainees with their hospital colleagues.
Encouraging more doctors to experience general practice	$44 million for an extra 200 rotations for doctors-in-training through the John Flynn Prevocational Doctor Program (JFPDP) each year from 2026, increasing to an extra 400 per year from 2028.	$44 million for an extra 200 rotations for doctors-in-training through the JFPDP each year from 2026, increasing to an extra 400 per year from 2028.	Nil.
Urgent Care Clinics	$644.3m to establish 50 additional UCCs.	Will continue existing UCCs and is committed to the establishment of more UCCs on a case-by-case basis.	Will establish 1,000 free local healthcare centres across Australia.
Health advice line for urgent care	$204.5m to support 24/7 access to national helpline, including afterhours GP telehealth.	Has advised it supports and will match the ALP commitment.	Nil.

Pillar 2 Public hospitals

National Health Reform Agreement	Entered the election with an existing commitment to increase the federal government’s share of public hospital funding in the next NHRA to 45 per cent of activity, as well as lifting the existing 6.5 per cent cap on growth funding. This was originally costed at $13b.	Has not made any other commitments in relation to NHRA funding.	$30.6b in additional funding through the NHRA for public hospitals with a 50/50 funding split and the removal of the 6.5 per cent cap on growth funding.
Hospitals and health hubs	$120m for a maternity ward at the Rouse Hill Hospital. $200m for St John of God Public Hospital in Perth. Health Hubs encompassing Tasmania ($8m) and Flinders University ($150m).	$120m for a maternity ward at the Rouse Hill Hospital. $200m for St John of God Public Hospital in Perth. $1.2m to June 2026 to continue funding for the Colorectal and Pelvic Reconstructive Service at Royal Children’s Hospital. Health Hubs encompassing Tasmania ($8m) and Flinders University ($150m).	Nil.

Pillar 3 Private health

Fee transparency	$7m to increase non-GP specialist fee transparency through enhancements to the Medical Cost Finder website. This includes publication of private health insurer fee data.	Will implement the commitment made by Labor.	Nil.

Pillar 4 A health system for all

Mental health	$1b mental health package to support Medicare Mental Health Centres, new and upgraded Headspace services, youth specialist care centres, and additional training places for mental health professionals and peer workers.	$900m mental health package, including a doubling of Medicare subsidised psychology services and expanded youth mental health services.	Propose universal mental healthcare by expanding Medicare to cover more mental health professionals, removing session limits, increasing Medicare rebates, and expanding the peer workforce.
Women’s health	$573.3m to support women’s reproductive health providing better access to long-acting reversible contraceptives, oral contraceptive pills, menopausal hormone therapies, more endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics, and the expansion of their role to encompass menopause and perimenopause.	Matched Labor’s women’s reproductive health package in full.	Nil.
Medicines	$784.6m to lower the PBS co-payment from $31.60 to $25.	Matched Labor’s commitment to lowering the PBS co-payment to $25.	Will make PBS medications free for concession card holders and reduce the PBS copayment for all other Medicare card holders to $7.70.
LGBTQIASB+ health	$10 million to subsidise training for primary healthcare professionals in delivering LGBTQIASB+ healthcare and support voluntary accreditation.	Nil.	Nil.
Rural health strategy	Nil.	Will commission a rural, regional, and remote health strategy to be developed by the National Rural Health Commissioner.	Nil.

Pillar 5 A Health system for the future

Medical workforce	100 additional Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP) for medical students per year from 2026, rising to 150 per year by 2028. These will be targeted at rural areas.	Matched Labor’s commitment and announced a further 200 CSPs that will be allocated to rural areas.	Nil.
Access to dental care	Nil.	Nil.	Propose including dental services in Medicare at a cost of $77.6b over 10 years.
Preventing the harms of gambling	Nil.	Ban gambling advertising one hour before, during, and after live sports on television and streaming services.	Ban all gambling advertising across TV, radio, and online.

The AMA has made the best efforts to include all significant information in this report card as announced up to, and including, 28 April 2025. The report card does not include all the local announcements made by candidates seeking election in individual electorates.

For more information regarding the 2025 election health policy platform of each of the major parties, please visit their websites:

Australian Labor Party

Liberal Party of Australia

The Nationals

The Australian Greens