More than one million Australians have accessed free trusted health advice through the Australian Government's 1800MEDICARE telehealth and digital service.
1800MEDICARE is a free phone and digital service that gives people access to expert health advice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
1800MEDICARE is taking pressure off overwhelmed hospital emergency departments and giving trusted health advice to people all across the country.
- One in ten callers were diverted from presenting at an emergency department or calling Triple Zero
- One in ten callers were referred to an Urgent Care service
- Nearly 60,000 callers had a free virtual GP consultation
- One in five people called from rural and remote areas across Australia
- More than one in five were parents seeking advice for their child
- One in three people rang on weekends and public holidays
In the ten months since the launch of 1800MEDICARE there has been:
- Over 471,000 calls in NSW
- Over 352,000 calls in VIC
- Over 133,000 calls in WA
- Over 116,000 calls in SA
- Over 31,000 calls in TAS
- Over 31,000 calls in QLD
- Over 25,000 calls in ACT
- Over 8,000 calls in NT
Anyone in Australia can call 1800MEDICARE to speak with a registered nurse within minutes. The nurse can provide expert health advice and connect people to the right care, including afterhours GP telehealth services when needed.
The Australian Government has invested more than $200 million in 1800MEDICARE as part of our commitment to expanding access to urgent care and after-hours care to strengthen Medicare.
People can call 1800MEDICARE (1800 633 422), visit 1800medicare.gov.au or download the 1800MEDICARE app to access services.
Quotes attributable to Minister Butler:
"The Albanese Government is making it easier for Australians to access health care when and where they need it, with one million calls already made to 1800MEDICARE.
"1800MEDICARE has already had a significant impact on state and territory hospitals, with more than 170,000 people diverted from busy emergency departments or from calling Triple Zero.
"No matter the time of day or location, Australians can quickly get the expert advice they need to manage their health concerns."
