Greg Hunt accuses Bill Shorten of ‘Medi-scam’ over heart checks

Health Minister Greg Hunt has accused Bill Shorten of launching a “Medi-scam” months out from the federal election.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten at Parliament House. Picture Kym Smith

Health Minister Greg Hunt has accused Bill Shorten of launching a “Medi-scam” months out from the federal election, after the ­Opposition Leader called for campaign donations based on a claim that only a Labor government would deliver heart health checks.

The major parties announced within one hour of each other on Sunday morning that they would fund a new Medicare item for heart health checks, which will help at-risk Australians and GPs better detect and manage heart disease. By that afternoon the ALP had sent an email to voters on behalf of Mr Shorten suggesting the checks would not be introduced unless Labor won the May poll, triggering claims from government of a Mediscare 2.0 campaign.

“We know this will save lives. But we can’t make our heart health checks a reality if Australia has to face another three years of Liberal attacks against our hospitals and Medicare,” the email states.

“So I’m asking for your help. Will you chip in a $10 donation towards our 2019 federal campaign fund so we can improve our healthcare system with lifesaving services like hearth health checks?”

The government’s policy will see the heart checks funded under a new Medicare Benefits Schedule item from April 1. The measure is uncapped, meaning any Australian who wants the check will be able to access one, while Labor has committed $170 million under its “fair go action plan” to protect and strengthen Medicare.

“In what can only be described as a Medi-scam, Labor issued an email calling for donations to the ALP, claiming the heart check would only be available if Labor was elected. They have lied to the public,” Mr Hunt said.

“Mr Shorten must repay the funds or donate them to the Heart Foundation. The truth is, you can’t trust Labor with the economy and you can’t trust them with health. Labor’s track record is evident when they stopped listing medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme because of their own fiscal mismanagement, preventing patients from accessing lifesaving medicines.”

A Labor spokeswoman said in response to Mr Hunt: “Everyone knows Greg Hunt is a massive sook. At least he’s not yelling at grandmas this time. Labor will ­always protect Medicare and we’re proud of it. Greg is clearly very sensitive about the Liberal Party’s shocking record on Medicare. Instead of having a sook, Greg should return the $3 billion he’s cut from Medicare.”

The “grandma” reference comes after Mr Hunt was forced to apologise for using offensive language in an exchange with a 71-year-old grandmother in May last year, six months after the event.

The government has been quick to call Labor out on any Medi­scare-style claims in a bid to stop a repeat of its 2016 campaign, which former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull blamed for a worse than expected poll result.

Mr Shorten drew on his family’s experience with heart disease when he made his announcement on Sunday, but also acknowledged the government was implementing the same policy.

“I know about heart disease, my father died at the age of 70 with a catastrophic heart attack. So this is an issue which surely must be among the most important for our nation to deal with,” he said. “It is good the government is agreeing with this proposition as well.”