The Albanese Government is delivering cost-of-living relief through a major Medicare investment in the upcoming Budget, making Medicare Urgent Care Clinics a permanent part of Australia’s health system.
This significant health measure includes an additional $1.8 billion over five years from 2025-26 and $525.6 million a year ongoing from 2030-31 to keep Medicare Urgent Care Clinics open and free.
Medicare Urgent Care Clinics offer walk-in and bulk-billed urgent care, seven days a week for extended hours. Each clinic is equipped to treat a range of conditions and injuries that need urgent attention but aren’t life threatening. This includes cuts, viral infections, or sprains, allowing local hospital emergency departments to focus on emergencies and life-threatening conditions.
Across Australia, Medicare Urgent Care Clinics have already seen nearly 3 million presentations since the first clinics opened in June 2023.
More than one in four of these presentations were patients aged under 15 years old, more than one in four were on weekends, and one in four were after 5pm on weekdays when many GPs are not available.
A recent interim evaluation report of the Medicare Urgent Care Clinics Program found:
- Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are achieving their purpose in delivering urgent care services and reducing equivalent Emergency Department presentations by around 10% nationally.
- 45% of patients reported that they would have sought care in an Emergency Department or called an ambulance if the Medicare Urgent Care Clinic was not available. This increased to 48% in the afterhours period.
- Patients are satisfied with the care they receive, and staff enjoy the variety of working across both general practice and urgent care.
There are currently 135 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics open across Australia with an additional two clinics due to open by the end of June 2026. There are 47 clinics in regional, rural or remote Australia.
Once all are opened, 4 out of 5 Australians will live within a 20-minute drive from their local Medicare Urgent Care Clinic.
Quotes attributable to the Prime Minister:
“Our number one priority is delivering cost of living relief for Australians – our network of Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are doing exactly that.
“When you go to an Urgent Care Clinic, all you will need is your Medicare card, not your credit card.
“These clinics are good for wallets, good for health, and are taking pressure off local emergency departments.
“Labor’s historic investment in Medicare is making a difference, that’s why we’re making Medicare Urgent Care Clinics permanent.”
Quotes attributable to Minister Butler:
“The Albanese Government created Medicare Urgent Care Clinics and now we are making sure they are here to stay.
“The network of Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are proving to be a gamechanger for all Australians.
“More people, more of the time, are getting free, urgent care close to home.
“All patients need is their Medicare care, not their credit card.”