Australia to establish 5th Medicare UCC in Tasmania

The clinic in Bridgewater is one of the 29 to be established as part of a $152.2m (A$227m) expansion.

Australia is set to launch its fifth Medicare Urgent Care Clinic (UCC) in Tasmania for patients in the area to access fully bulk-billed services.

The clinic in Bridgewater, Tasmania is one of the 29 to be established in the country as part of a $152.2m (A$227m) expansion of the Medicare UCC programme announced in the 2024–25 Budget.

Meanwhile, all Tasmanian UCCs will be provided additional aid in recognition of higher staffing costs and more service support, as part of an $18.8m (A$28.1m) package to strengthen the state’s Medicare services.

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“There have been over 25,000 presentations to the four Medicare Urgent Care Clinics in Tasmania, meaning patients have been able to receive urgent care quickly and for free,”  Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mark Butler, said.

“Our broader investments in strengthening Medicare will also support older Tasmanians to get better care outside of the hospital system, further reducing the load on local hospitals and freeing up beds for other patients,” Butler added.

A$1 = $0.67