The Budget is projecting a $103.6 billion improvement in the underlying cash balance over the next five years. Josh Frydenberg says it will come in lower than what was forecast.
Main points in this budget:
BUDGET 2022 HEALTH WRAP
The Treasurer says the Coalition is committed to continued funding of Medicare, with an investment of $133 billion over four years.
The Government has increased funding for hospitals by nearly $10 billion since the last budget, up to just over $28 billion.
It’s forecast that investment in hospitals will increase to nearly $33 billion by the 2025-26 financial year.
The Government is planning to increase investment in the regions, including reducing the cost of vital MRI services, increasing the number of medical Commonwealth Supported Places available at rural campuses, and investing nearly $60 million in the iconic Royal Flying Doctor Service.
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme [PBS] will see an investment of $2.4 billion and the introduction of treatments for breast cancer, cystic fibrosis, severe eczema, asthma, human immunodeficiency virus infection and heart failure.
A further $650 million will go towards the existing Mental Health and Suicide Prevention plan, where the total investment has grown to nearly $3 billion.
The Government is also investing more than $4.6 billion to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
And as Australia learns to live with COVID-19, the Government is spending over $55 million on encouraging people to resume having their regular health checks, diagnostic screenings, and other preventive health activities.
BUDGET 2022 HEALTH MULTICULTURAL
The Government is investing nearly $35 million to improve access to high-quality mental health, suicide prevention, and social and emotional wellbeing services for Indigenous and migrant communities.
Nearly $18 million will go towards delivering dedicated mental health support to multicultural communities in Australia.
That includes $10 million of top-up funding for a program supporting humanitarian entrants and survivors of torture and trauma.
Another $8 million goes towards ensuring translation services are available, removing a barrier to accessing this mental health support for Australians whose primary language may not be English.
BUDGET 2022 HEALTH SUICIDE
The Government is investing $46.7 million to strengthen suicide prevention activities in local communities across the country.
$30 million goes towards deploying regional and community-based suicide prevention systems to identify and respond early to emerging issues.
As part of the plan, Suicide Prevention Regional Response Leaders will be appointed at a cost of $10 million.
$4 million will go towards two years of funding for the Suicide Prevention Research Fund, expanding on existing research into suicide prevention.
BUDGET 2022 HEALTH WOMEN
The Government has introduced funding for a new Women’s Health package.
The $333 million allocated will provide a variety of health services, including support for women who suffer a miscarriage or stillbirth.
As was revealed in the last few days, there is new support for women with endometriosis, with the establishment of specialist clinics.
The Budget also promises greater access to breast and cervical cancer screenings.
BUDGET 2022 NDIS
The Government has pledged to always fund the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
The Budget papers reveal the cost of assistance to people with disabilities will increase by nearly 10 per cent over the next five years because of an increasing number of people with disability entering the NDIS.
Over the past 12 months, the Government has provided nearly $40 billion extra to support the continued implementation of the NDIS.
BUDGET 2022 INDIGENOUS HEALTH
The government is estimated to provide $16.2 million for Indigenous health spending to the states and territories in 2022-23.
The funding aims to combat blood-borne viruses and sexually transmissible infections in the Torres Strait, improving trachoma control services, and rheumatic fever and heart disease.
From 2021 to 2026, support for Indigenous health will total $56.9 million.
And $22.4 million will be invested over six years to support health care in the Northern Territory.
BUDGET 2022 INDIGENOUS NT
The Government is investing $408.8 million into remote housing in communities in the NT over four years.
Around $185 million is allocated for 2021-22, with the remaining $223.8 million for 2022-2023. It’s expected to address overcrowding, homelessness, poor housing conditions and severe housing shortages.
The funding would support new houses, housing refurbishments and other housing-related infrastructure.
It also provides incentives to establish more sustainable housing systems in remote Indigenous communities.
