Priority groups across Dawson and Capricornia will be able to access cheaper doctor appointments and medicine under a federal budget move. Find out if you will benefit.
GPs at 46 bulk billing practices across Dawson and 37 bulk billing practices in Capricornia will be reimbursed three times as much for bulk-billed common consultations for children under 26 and concession card holders.
The incentive, coming into force on November 1, will go from $6.60 to $20.65 as part of a $5.7bn investment to strengthen Medicare.
See the full list of bulk-billing practices here.
The cost of medicine will also be reduced by up to half for at least six million Australians including more than 38,000 people in Dawson and more than 39,000 people in Capricornia.
The base rate of income payments like JobSeeker, Austudy and Youth Allowance will increase by $40 per fortnight, impacting about 6880 people in Dawson and 6400 people in Capricornia.
Hon Dr Jim Chalmers MP at the ALP Queensland State Conference Mackay Entertainment and Convention Centre (MECC) Saturday 3 June 2023 Picture: Michaela Harlow
While about 6400 households in Dawson and 5575 households in Capricornia will benefit from an increase to Commonwealth Rent Assistance, and more than 450 people in Dawson and 425 people in Capricornia will benefit from a boost to the Single Parent Payment.
Federal treasurer Jim Chalmer’s budget allocates $11.3bn over four years to fund the Fair Work Commission’s interim decision for a 15 per cent increase to minimum wages for many aged care workers.
This will support around 58,700 award aged care workers in Queensland who will earn between $129.20 and $341.24 more per week if they work a 38-hour week.
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Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers said this budget would “really make a different for people in this community”.
“People are under the pump which is why we carefully calibrated our budget to take some of the pressure off,” Mr Chalmers said.
He added that across Dawson and Capricornia they were “delivering cheaper medicines and making it cheaper and easier to see a GP for tens of thousands of locals”.
“At the same time as we deliver cheaper power bills and provide extra rental assistance to thousands more,” he said.
“Whether it’s cheaper medicines, more bulk billing or a bit of extra help to pay the rent – our budget will help local families and local businesses and create more opportunities for more people in regional Queensland to get ahead.”