Labor’s Medicare Health Fix: Will Geelong Benefit?

At a time when healthcare systems across the country are showing signs of strain, the federal government’s recent announcements around Medicare, cheaper medicines and women’s health have landed with a sense of overdue urgency, especially in places like Geelong.

Labor’s commitment to lower the cost of PBS medicines to $25 might seem like a small change on paper, but its potential impact here is real. For many people across the region, pensioners, young families, and those living week-to-week, the difference between filling a script and going without can come down to just a few dollars. In suburbs like Norlane and Whittington, that kind of relief isn’t theoretical. It’s necessary.

Equally, the $8.5 billion investment in Medicare, aimed at strengthening bulk billing and improving access to GPs, feels like a long-needed response to what doctors have been saying for years: the system wasn’t sustainable. In Geelong, where finding a bulk-billing clinic with available appointments has become increasingly difficult, this investment has the potential to ease pressure on both clinics and patients, if implemented carefully and equitably.

Labor’s plan to introduce 50 Urgent Care Clinics nationwide is one of the more high-impact promises, and arguably one of the most relevant to Geelong. With University Hospital Geelong often running at or near capacity, and wait times creeping up, an urgent care alternative could make a meaningful difference. While there’s no confirmation yet that Geelong will be home to one of these clinics, many would argue the need here is obvious.

One of the most important, and perhaps most overlooked, parts of the policy package is the $573 million investment in women’s health. It marks a clear acknowledgment that conditions like endometriosis and menopause have been historically underfunded and misunderstood. 

A representative from Newbay Medical Clinic said the funding is promising but must be well targeted. “We see women waiting months for care or feeling dismissed,” they said. “This investment needs to reach local clinics where early support makes the biggest difference.”

Whether this new funding will lead to more local services and shorter wait times remains to be seen, but the shift in tone and prioritisation is welcome.

The Coalition has responded by promising to match, and slightly exceed Labor’s Medicare investment with a $9 billion plan of its own, which includes restoring bulk billing and boosting mental health care. However, their plan is tied to sweeping reductions in the public service, including a rollback of thousands of jobs created under the current government — as a way to fund the investment.

It’s a strategy that echoes the kind of cost-cutting seen in tech circles, where figures like Elon Musk have gained attention for rapidly slashing staffing and government-linked programs in the name of efficiency. But while leaner operations might suit private enterprise, voters may wonder whether this Silicon Valley-style austerity is a sound fit for national healthcare policy. The Coalition’s approach raises broader questions — not just about health funding, but about what kind of public services Australia can expect under its leadership.

It’s worth noting that no party gets everything right. Implementation matters, and promises on paper don’t always translate cleanly into results on the ground. But when it comes to health, a core service that affects every household, having a clear, funded plan is the bare minimum. Right now, Labor appears to be the only one putting one forward.

Geelong, like many growing regional cities, sits at a tipping point. Our population is rising. Our services are stretched. Our hospital is busy. If reforms like these are delivered with care and attention to local needs, they could change the trajectory of healthcare access in the region. If not, or if they never reach us, then the gap between metro and regional services will only grow.

For now, Labor’s health agenda offers something that’s been in short supply in regional healthcare: direction. The test will be in the delivery, and whether Geelong gets the resources and respect it deserves.