Minister for Government Services the Hon. Bill Shorten visited the Services Australia service centre in Bankstown today, in the same shopping centre where former Prime Minister Paul Keating, then Treasurer, opened the first Medicare office 40 years ago in 1984.
After 40 years of universal health care in Australia, the Albanese Government is continuing to roll out new digital features to keep Medicare future-focussed and fit for purpose.
“When Paul Keating opened the first Medicare centre here in Bankstown 40 years ago, he said it was cheaper, fairer and simpler,” Minister Shorten said.
“A lot has changed since Medicare was introduced in 1984, but the original premise remains intact and as ambitious as ever.
“These days Australians want to access their services online – in fact, 99.7 per cent of Medicare claims handled by Services Australia last year were digital.
“We’re working to transform Medicare’s online platforms, to make sure the 27 million Australians using Medicare can do so in a way that works for them.
"We recently launched the new Medicare claims tracker, allowing people to follow the progress of their claim in their Medicare Online Account and Express Plus Mobile App.
“Before this, people had to call to see how their claim was tracking – now, they can find it with a few taps on their phone.
“The tracker has already been used over 915,000 times, with customers using the new feature for an average of just 12 seconds.
“We’ve expanded the options for people to enrol in Medicare, with a new online enrolment option helping over 53,000 people access the Medicare entitlements they’re eligible for faster.
“Online applications progress around two times faster than paper forms, as they ensure all required information is included when the form is first submitted, reducing double handling.
“These new features come alongside several other recent upgrades, like online appointment bookings and myGov passkeys, that are making our services easier and safer.”
These digital enhancements are part of the Government’s Health Delivery Modernisation program. For information about Medicare’s online services visit servicesaustralia.gov.au/medicareonline.