Mrs DRAPER (2:55 PM) —My question is addressed to the Minister for Ageing. Would the minister advise the House how the government's MedicarePlus package will provide older Australians with better access to quality care?

Ms JULIE BISHOP (Minister for Ageing) —I thank the member for Makin for her question and I acknowledge her deep and abiding interest in health and aged care issues. In congratulating the Minister for Health and Ageing on the $2.85 billion package which will protect and strengthen Medicare, I can confirm to the member for Makin that it will greatly benefit older Australians needing health care. Over 90 per cent of pension aged Australians hold some form of concession card. MedicarePlus is increasing incentives to doctors to bulk-bill concession card holders in rural and remote areas, in metropolitan areas and in Tasmania, which has the oldest aged demographic of any of our states.

Over two million Australians of pension age eligible for concession cards will benefit. Specifically, older Australians with concession cards will have 80 per cent of their out-of-pocket expenses for medical services outside hospitals covered once the annual threshold of $300 per individual or family is reached. The small percentage of older Australians who are not eligible for some sort of concession card will also be covered once the threshold reaches $700 per individual or family. It is a fact that the services that generate a high out-of-pocket expense level tend to be specialist consultations. It is a fact that older Australians tend to use these services at a higher rate than the rest of the population. More than 80 per cent of the illness burden in Australia is caused by chronic conditions, and these are more prevalent in people over the age of 55. So older Australians suffering from chronic conditions will benefit from the allied health and dental health MBS measures. These measures will build on the new initiatives that we announced last year under MedicarePlus, which were specifically targeted to improving access to GP care for residents in aged care facilities—specifically, a new MBS item for comprehensive medical assessments in residential aged care facilities and grants to GPs to work more effectively with aged care facilities.

The contrast between the government and the opposition could not be more stark than in our respective approaches to caring for older Australians. The government has a vision for older Australians needing care—high-quality, affordable, accessible care—and that is evidenced by the fact that we have increased funding in aged care from $3 billion to $6 billion. It is evidenced by the fact that we have released 55,600 new aged care places across Australia, and we will fulfil the aspirations of Australians who want to age at home in the community by increasing funding for community aged care packages by over 820 per cent for community aged care packages. Just contrast that with Labor: it neglected aged care when it was in office. There was a 10,000-bed deficit. It was underfunded and ignored. Nothing has changed: no policies; not even a thought bubble on aged care. Labor just does not care.

The SPEAKER —The minister will resume her seat! I call the honourable member for Fraser.