Prime Minister Anthony Albanese today said he has committed the additional investment to strengthen the Medicare system to reduce waiting times, cut waiting lists down and deliver an overall structural health reform.

The one-off funding boost will be distributed across all states and territories, increasing the total Commonwealth funding for public hospitals and health services to $33.91 billion in 2025-26.

“Labor created Medicare and we will protect it and strengthen it,” Albanese told media today.

“Healthcare is the first issue I engaged with as a very young man, it’s what brought me into politics, nothing’s more important.”

Health Minister Mark Butler said Australia’s public health system was in dire need of reform.

“We have a terrific public health system… but it is a hospital system under very serious pressure,” Butler said.

“Our population is getting older and getting sicker.

“There is also still a long tail of COVID.“

Butler said the Northern Territory in particular desperately needed the funding, describing the current state as “grossly inequitable”.

The NT will be given a $51 million one-off boost under the agreement.

NSW will be given $407 million, Victoria $402 million, Queensland $414 million, Western Australia $158 million and South Australia $169 million, while both Tasmania and the ACT will get $50 million.

The AMA this week announced its Modernise Medicare proposal to address critical issues in healthcare and general practice across the country.