Life doesn’t stick to office hours – and soon, neither will healthcare.
A re-elected Albanese Labor Government has pledged a $204.5 million boost to create 1800MEDICARE, a free, 24/7 health advice and afterhours GP telehealth service, available to every resident in Macarthur from 1 January 2026.
“When illness or injury strikes in your family, 1800MEDICARE will be there – a 24/7 health advice line and afterhours GP telehealth service, backed by Medicare,” Health Minister Mark Butler declared.
Building on Labor’s Medicare Urgent Care Clinics rollout, 1800MEDICARE aims to ensure that urgent care is always within reach – a 20-minute drive for four in five Australians, or just a phone call away.
Macarthur’s Dr Mike Freelander MP welcomed the move, saying, “Labor is strengthening Medicare to make sure every Australian in Macarthur has access to high quality health care no matter what time of the day it is.”
From free expert advice by registered nurses to urgent telehealth GP consultations after hours, 1800MEDICARE promises to save around 250,000 Australians from unnecessary trips to emergency departments.
Dr Freelander stressed, “Only a Labor Government will deliver stronger Medicare for the local community… compared to more cuts to Medicare under Peter Dutton’s Liberals.”
With 1800MEDICARE, Labor is betting big that health care – like life – should be around the clock.
