Civil Penalties for Falsely Claiming Participation in Incentive Payment Programs
Health Insurance Amendment (Incentive Payments and Other Measures) Bill 2026
House of Representatives
Senate
Assent
Topics
healthcare administration healthcare payments medical provider incentives Medicare professional services
Introduced by: The Hon Mark Butler MP (ALP)
Links to official parliament websites
Effects of this bill
If this bill passes, it means that:
The Debate
What different members said when this bill was debated:
Mark Butler ALP
“I move: That this bill be now read a second time. The Health Insurance Amendment (Incentive Payments and Other Measures) Bill 2026 is an important step in strengthening the integrity, transparency and sustainability of Medicare primary healthcare funding. Medicare is the very best of Australia. It allows Australians to receive high-quality health care, regardless of their bank balance.”
Melissa McIntosh LIB
“I rise to speak on the Health Insurance Amendment (Incentive Payments and Other Measures) Bill 2026. The purpose of the bill is to establish a clear legislative framework for Commonwealth health incentive payment programs.”
Jo Briskey ALP
“Australia is in the midst of a green and gold frenzy. The Socceroos are through to the knockouts at the world cup, our women’s cricket team is lighting up the T20 world cup over in England, and the Wallabies kick off their Nations Championship campaign against Ireland at Allianz this weekend. The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Hopefully with a win. Ms BRISKEY: That’s right.”
Shayne Neumann ALP
“In 1972 to 1975, Bill Hayden was member for Oxley and my federal MP, and he was responsible for bringing in the forerunner of Medicare—it was called Medibank—against the opposition of the Liberal Party and the Country Party, as the Nationals then named themselves.”
Anne Webster NAT
“I rise to speak on the Health Insurance Amendment (Incentive Payments and Other Measures) Bill 2026. Let me say, at the outset, the coalition will not oppose this bill. We support proper administration. We support transparency. We support accountability for the use of public money.”
Renee Coffey ALP
“When people think about health care they often think about hospitals, doctors and emergency departments first. Those parts of our health system are vital. In Griffith, we know that all too well. We are home to major health institutions including the Princess Alexandra Hospital, the Mater and the Queensland Children’s Hospital.”
“The Health Insurance Amendment (Incentive Payments and Other Measures) Bill 2026 is important. Certainly, when it comes to health, I acknowledge that today, 1 July, we see, as we heard in question time today, five new drugs on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. As I said earlier, in the discussion on the matter of public importance, this is important because it actually saves lives.”
Rowan Holzberger ALP
“It’s probably just a case of statistical probability that I follow the member for Riverina quite often. Potentially it’s because the member for Riverina does a lot of speaking, which is something I try to emulate. There are many things that the member for Riverina does that I try and emulate. One is how he manages to create this bipartisan vibe while kicking the absolute guts out of us!”
Andrew Wallace LNP
“This bill, the Health Insurance Amendment (Incentive Payments and Other Measures) Bill 2026, has a simple purpose, but it has a deeply uncomfortable story. The simple purpose is to establish a clear legislative framework for Commonwealth health incentive payment programs.”
Emma Comer ALP
“I rise today in strong support of the Health Insurance Amendment (Incentive Payments and Other Measures) Bill 2026. This bill goes to the very heart of what Australians expect from their healthcare system and from a strong Labor government.”
“Can a parent take a sick child to the doctor without first visiting their bank balance? No-one should have to think twice about seeing a GP when they are sick or injured because of what it might cost and no-one should have to wait days for an appointment because the nearest bulk-billing clinic is booked out for a week.”
“It is an honour to rise in support of the Health Insurance Amendment (Incentive Payments and Other Measures) Bill 2026, brought forward by the Minister for Health and Ageing, and I commend him for doing so. This bill is an important step in strengthening the integrity, transparency and sustainability of Medicare primary healthcare funding.”
Ms ROBERTS
“That’s correct. Thank you. The incorporated speech reads as follows— Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I rise today to speak in support of the Health Insurance Amendment (Incentive Payments and Other Measures) Bill 2026.”
Steve Georganas ALP
“I too rise to make a contribution, just as the member for Pearce just did, on the Health Insurance Amendment (Incentive Payments and Other Measures) Bill 2026. At its heart is Medicare. Medicare is built on a simple but powerful principle that every Australian should be able to access quality health care when they need it regardless of their income, their postcode or their stage of life.”
Anne Stanley ALP
“It’s easy to take the Medicare card for granted. All Australians above 15 years of age can obtain a card of their own, and despite the system not being perfect it really is the passport to the world’s best universal healthcare system. Medicare is uniquely Australian and something that, as a nation, we can be very proud of.”
Ellie Whiteaker ALP
“The Health Insurance Amendment (Incentive Payments and Other Measures) Bill 2026 strengthens Medicare by improving the administration, integrity and transparency of key incentive payment programs. This bill delivers three key things.”
Anne Ruston LIB
“I too rise to speak on the Health Insurance Amendment (Incentive Payments and Other Measures) Bill 2026. Let me say at the outset that the coalition will not be opposing this bill. We support Commonwealth health incentive payments. In fact, we established several of them when we were in government.”