Policy & Advocacy

This joint submission to the Senate Standing Committees on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport highlights the compounded barriers multicultural communities face in accessing Medicare-funded care in rural, regional and remote Australia. It outlines how geography, language barriers, digital exclusion, visa-related Medicare ineligibility, limited interpreter access and culturally unsafe care intersect to reduce access to timely and appropriate health services.

The submission calls for reforms including expanded Medicare access, better support for long and interpreter-assisted consultations, improved telehealth and MyMedicare accessibility, stronger patient travel assistance, and greater investment in culturally safe, community-led and multidisciplinary models of care.