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Could cannabis and psychedelics help treat eating disorders?

Could cannabis and psychedelics help treat eating disorders?

An international survey into non-prescribed drug use has made a surprising link between cannabis, psychedelics and treating eating disorders.
The Australian-led survey of 7600 self-selected respondents across 83 countries has revealed that cannabis and some psychedelic drugs, including 'magic mushrooms' and LSD, were the most effective among self-medicated, non-prescription drugs for alleviating symptoms associated with illnesses including anorexia nervosa, bulimia and binge eating.
Published in JAMA Network Open this week, the research has been led by PhD student Sarah-Catherine Rodan at the University of Sydney's Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics. Professor Iain McGregor, academic director of the Lambert Initiative, is senior author on the paper.
About 1 million Australians live with an eating disorder, and almost one-third of adolescents in this country engage in disordered eating in any given year, according to National Eating Disorders Collaboration. They are notoriously difficult to treat and, according to the Butterfly Foundation, have the highest mortality rates of all psychiatric disorders.
Rodan says the study found that beyond cannabis's reputation for stimulating appetite, it offered a variety of potential benefits to users suffering from illnesses such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder.
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'Cannabis has mood-elevating, anxiety-reducing gastroprotective and anti-nausea properties,' she says. 'Patients with avoidant/restrictive feeding intake disorder and anorexia nervosa report symptoms of anxiety and related abdominal pain and nausea, which can reduce appetite and exacerbate disordered eating.
'Cannabis also has anxiolytic properties and may reduce food-related anxiety and guilt.'
The survey also investigated ways participants were ingesting drugs, which affected the positive or negative outcomes.
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Author Jackie French wants you to find the champion who'll make 2026 count
Author Jackie French wants you to find the champion who'll make 2026 count

The Advertiser

time2 hours ago

  • The Advertiser

Author Jackie French wants you to find the champion who'll make 2026 count

Jackie French wants you to think long and hard about who you nominate for Australian of the Year. And it's not because she found her time as Senior Australian of the Year in 2015 such hard work. It's because of all the things she was able to achieve in those 12 months. Nominations for the 2026 Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia's Local Hero close at midnight on July 31. The only way someone can be considered for the annual awards, which were first presented in 1960, is if a member of the public nominates them. A decade after she received the honour, as she encourages Australians to think about who to nominate for the 2026 awards, French has recalled her own award's impact on her work. The environmental campaigner and author of novels like The Whisperer's War and beloved children's books like Diary of a Wombat spent her time as Senior Australian of the Year promoting literacy and urging others to recognise the transformational power of reading, creativity and storytelling in the lives of young people. And everywhere she went, people listened to her. "One of the hard things, though, when you're an advocate and you've got a short period of time is that some things can just be done with the stroke of a ministerial pen," she said. "Getting dyslexia classified as a disability, getting the way teachers are trained changed, getting a prototype of what that could look like." Having overcome dyslexia herself, she's passionate about having it recognised more easily in schools so that as many children as possible can get help early. CLICK HERE TO NOMINATE SOMEONE NOW! "I think I expected that within a couple of weeks or a couple of months, everything would change. And of course, it hasn't. People have to be trained. People have to be trained to actually train the trainers, who then need to train the teachers," she said. "[But] it's the way that teaching reading and writing in our schools is changing because of the work I did that year." But she also saw other changes happen quickly. "You can get things done. [For example] speaking to the Northern Territory chief minister, in a very Northern Territory way - he was actually holding a beer at a backyard barbecue - about why my literacy needed to be taught in prisons, which was one of the other things I campaigned for," she said. "I went to prisons and drug rehabilitation areas around Australia, finding out that just about every person in a medium security prison wasn't able to read or write. "And just at the barbecue, the chief minister said, 'Well, they're doing nothing else but sitting on their arses, aren't they?' He calls over his PA or whatever it was and said, 'We'll get it done'." But she cringed at the memory of being invited to the Lodge and lambasting then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at his approach to changing copyright laws, even while she was shaking his hand. "I'm still very embarrassed ... but it was the only way. I knew that greeting or shaking hands was the only time I was going to give a meeting with him." She also played a role in reversing a proposal for a mine near her home in Majors Creek, NSW, to process cyanide upstream of the community's drinking water. And she still cherished the memory of realising that she and her fellow recipients were, for the first time, all women. "We did an enormous amount of work," she said of the ensuing 12 months. "It was absolutely gruelling work that we did to get the projects going, and we kept checking on each other, just saying, basically, how are you going? "And I suspect we may have been the only group of recipients who did that, and I think it was again, because we were all women." READ THEIR STORIES In the same year, she was named National Children's Laureate, and said she found the double responsibility quite overwhelming. "I really urge people to nominate, but when you nominate, remember the criteria," she said. "This isn't for someone who has done something wonderful. That's what all of the awards are for - the King's birthday awards and things like that, for what people have already done when you nominate them. "Nominate someone who can use that year to really, really make a difference." Help find the 2026 Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia's Local Hero by nominating someone you admire. The only way someone can be considered for the annual awards, which were first presented in 1960, is if a member of the public nominates them. Nominate online at or scan the QR code on this page. Nominations close at midnight on July 31. Jackie French wants you to think long and hard about who you nominate for Australian of the Year. And it's not because she found her time as Senior Australian of the Year in 2015 such hard work. It's because of all the things she was able to achieve in those 12 months. Nominations for the 2026 Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia's Local Hero close at midnight on July 31. The only way someone can be considered for the annual awards, which were first presented in 1960, is if a member of the public nominates them. A decade after she received the honour, as she encourages Australians to think about who to nominate for the 2026 awards, French has recalled her own award's impact on her work. The environmental campaigner and author of novels like The Whisperer's War and beloved children's books like Diary of a Wombat spent her time as Senior Australian of the Year promoting literacy and urging others to recognise the transformational power of reading, creativity and storytelling in the lives of young people. And everywhere she went, people listened to her. "One of the hard things, though, when you're an advocate and you've got a short period of time is that some things can just be done with the stroke of a ministerial pen," she said. "Getting dyslexia classified as a disability, getting the way teachers are trained changed, getting a prototype of what that could look like." Having overcome dyslexia herself, she's passionate about having it recognised more easily in schools so that as many children as possible can get help early. CLICK HERE TO NOMINATE SOMEONE NOW! "I think I expected that within a couple of weeks or a couple of months, everything would change. And of course, it hasn't. People have to be trained. People have to be trained to actually train the trainers, who then need to train the teachers," she said. "[But] it's the way that teaching reading and writing in our schools is changing because of the work I did that year." But she also saw other changes happen quickly. "You can get things done. [For example] speaking to the Northern Territory chief minister, in a very Northern Territory way - he was actually holding a beer at a backyard barbecue - about why my literacy needed to be taught in prisons, which was one of the other things I campaigned for," she said. "I went to prisons and drug rehabilitation areas around Australia, finding out that just about every person in a medium security prison wasn't able to read or write. "And just at the barbecue, the chief minister said, 'Well, they're doing nothing else but sitting on their arses, aren't they?' He calls over his PA or whatever it was and said, 'We'll get it done'." But she cringed at the memory of being invited to the Lodge and lambasting then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at his approach to changing copyright laws, even while she was shaking his hand. "I'm still very embarrassed ... but it was the only way. I knew that greeting or shaking hands was the only time I was going to give a meeting with him." She also played a role in reversing a proposal for a mine near her home in Majors Creek, NSW, to process cyanide upstream of the community's drinking water. And she still cherished the memory of realising that she and her fellow recipients were, for the first time, all women. "We did an enormous amount of work," she said of the ensuing 12 months. "It was absolutely gruelling work that we did to get the projects going, and we kept checking on each other, just saying, basically, how are you going? "And I suspect we may have been the only group of recipients who did that, and I think it was again, because we were all women." READ THEIR STORIES In the same year, she was named National Children's Laureate, and said she found the double responsibility quite overwhelming. "I really urge people to nominate, but when you nominate, remember the criteria," she said. "This isn't for someone who has done something wonderful. That's what all of the awards are for - the King's birthday awards and things like that, for what people have already done when you nominate them. "Nominate someone who can use that year to really, really make a difference." Help find the 2026 Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia's Local Hero by nominating someone you admire. The only way someone can be considered for the annual awards, which were first presented in 1960, is if a member of the public nominates them. Nominate online at or scan the QR code on this page. Nominations close at midnight on July 31. Jackie French wants you to think long and hard about who you nominate for Australian of the Year. And it's not because she found her time as Senior Australian of the Year in 2015 such hard work. It's because of all the things she was able to achieve in those 12 months. Nominations for the 2026 Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia's Local Hero close at midnight on July 31. The only way someone can be considered for the annual awards, which were first presented in 1960, is if a member of the public nominates them. A decade after she received the honour, as she encourages Australians to think about who to nominate for the 2026 awards, French has recalled her own award's impact on her work. The environmental campaigner and author of novels like The Whisperer's War and beloved children's books like Diary of a Wombat spent her time as Senior Australian of the Year promoting literacy and urging others to recognise the transformational power of reading, creativity and storytelling in the lives of young people. And everywhere she went, people listened to her. "One of the hard things, though, when you're an advocate and you've got a short period of time is that some things can just be done with the stroke of a ministerial pen," she said. "Getting dyslexia classified as a disability, getting the way teachers are trained changed, getting a prototype of what that could look like." Having overcome dyslexia herself, she's passionate about having it recognised more easily in schools so that as many children as possible can get help early. CLICK HERE TO NOMINATE SOMEONE NOW! "I think I expected that within a couple of weeks or a couple of months, everything would change. And of course, it hasn't. People have to be trained. People have to be trained to actually train the trainers, who then need to train the teachers," she said. "[But] it's the way that teaching reading and writing in our schools is changing because of the work I did that year." But she also saw other changes happen quickly. "You can get things done. [For example] speaking to the Northern Territory chief minister, in a very Northern Territory way - he was actually holding a beer at a backyard barbecue - about why my literacy needed to be taught in prisons, which was one of the other things I campaigned for," she said. "I went to prisons and drug rehabilitation areas around Australia, finding out that just about every person in a medium security prison wasn't able to read or write. "And just at the barbecue, the chief minister said, 'Well, they're doing nothing else but sitting on their arses, aren't they?' He calls over his PA or whatever it was and said, 'We'll get it done'." But she cringed at the memory of being invited to the Lodge and lambasting then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at his approach to changing copyright laws, even while she was shaking his hand. "I'm still very embarrassed ... but it was the only way. I knew that greeting or shaking hands was the only time I was going to give a meeting with him." She also played a role in reversing a proposal for a mine near her home in Majors Creek, NSW, to process cyanide upstream of the community's drinking water. And she still cherished the memory of realising that she and her fellow recipients were, for the first time, all women. "We did an enormous amount of work," she said of the ensuing 12 months. "It was absolutely gruelling work that we did to get the projects going, and we kept checking on each other, just saying, basically, how are you going? "And I suspect we may have been the only group of recipients who did that, and I think it was again, because we were all women." READ THEIR STORIES In the same year, she was named National Children's Laureate, and said she found the double responsibility quite overwhelming. "I really urge people to nominate, but when you nominate, remember the criteria," she said. "This isn't for someone who has done something wonderful. That's what all of the awards are for - the King's birthday awards and things like that, for what people have already done when you nominate them. "Nominate someone who can use that year to really, really make a difference." Help find the 2026 Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia's Local Hero by nominating someone you admire. The only way someone can be considered for the annual awards, which were first presented in 1960, is if a member of the public nominates them. Nominate online at or scan the QR code on this page. Nominations close at midnight on July 31. Jackie French wants you to think long and hard about who you nominate for Australian of the Year. And it's not because she found her time as Senior Australian of the Year in 2015 such hard work. It's because of all the things she was able to achieve in those 12 months. Nominations for the 2026 Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia's Local Hero close at midnight on July 31. The only way someone can be considered for the annual awards, which were first presented in 1960, is if a member of the public nominates them. A decade after she received the honour, as she encourages Australians to think about who to nominate for the 2026 awards, French has recalled her own award's impact on her work. The environmental campaigner and author of novels like The Whisperer's War and beloved children's books like Diary of a Wombat spent her time as Senior Australian of the Year promoting literacy and urging others to recognise the transformational power of reading, creativity and storytelling in the lives of young people. And everywhere she went, people listened to her. "One of the hard things, though, when you're an advocate and you've got a short period of time is that some things can just be done with the stroke of a ministerial pen," she said. "Getting dyslexia classified as a disability, getting the way teachers are trained changed, getting a prototype of what that could look like." Having overcome dyslexia herself, she's passionate about having it recognised more easily in schools so that as many children as possible can get help early. CLICK HERE TO NOMINATE SOMEONE NOW! "I think I expected that within a couple of weeks or a couple of months, everything would change. And of course, it hasn't. People have to be trained. People have to be trained to actually train the trainers, who then need to train the teachers," she said. "[But] it's the way that teaching reading and writing in our schools is changing because of the work I did that year." But she also saw other changes happen quickly. "You can get things done. [For example] speaking to the Northern Territory chief minister, in a very Northern Territory way - he was actually holding a beer at a backyard barbecue - about why my literacy needed to be taught in prisons, which was one of the other things I campaigned for," she said. "I went to prisons and drug rehabilitation areas around Australia, finding out that just about every person in a medium security prison wasn't able to read or write. "And just at the barbecue, the chief minister said, 'Well, they're doing nothing else but sitting on their arses, aren't they?' He calls over his PA or whatever it was and said, 'We'll get it done'." But she cringed at the memory of being invited to the Lodge and lambasting then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at his approach to changing copyright laws, even while she was shaking his hand. "I'm still very embarrassed ... but it was the only way. I knew that greeting or shaking hands was the only time I was going to give a meeting with him." She also played a role in reversing a proposal for a mine near her home in Majors Creek, NSW, to process cyanide upstream of the community's drinking water. And she still cherished the memory of realising that she and her fellow recipients were, for the first time, all women. "We did an enormous amount of work," she said of the ensuing 12 months. "It was absolutely gruelling work that we did to get the projects going, and we kept checking on each other, just saying, basically, how are you going? "And I suspect we may have been the only group of recipients who did that, and I think it was again, because we were all women." READ THEIR STORIES In the same year, she was named National Children's Laureate, and said she found the double responsibility quite overwhelming. "I really urge people to nominate, but when you nominate, remember the criteria," she said. "This isn't for someone who has done something wonderful. That's what all of the awards are for - the King's birthday awards and things like that, for what people have already done when you nominate them. "Nominate someone who can use that year to really, really make a difference." Help find the 2026 Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia's Local Hero by nominating someone you admire. The only way someone can be considered for the annual awards, which were first presented in 1960, is if a member of the public nominates them. Nominate online at or scan the QR code on this page. Nominations close at midnight on July 31.

Landmark genetic study aims to find root cause of debilitating disease
Landmark genetic study aims to find root cause of debilitating disease

9 News

time3 hours ago

  • 9 News

Landmark genetic study aims to find root cause of debilitating disease

Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Australian researchers are launching a landmark study to identify the genetic cause of multiple sclerosis (MS). MS impacts more than 33,000 people in Australia however the exact cause of the disease remains unclear. While it is believed DNA, environmental factors and a common virus known as Epstein-Barr could trigger MS, scientists at University of South Australia are investigating the "biology" behind a person's risk of developing it. MS impacts more than 33,000 people in Australia however the exact cause of the disease remains unclear. (Getty) MS is a central nervous system autoimmune condiiton which impacts muscles and can result in fatigue, difficulty walking, loss of balance and pain. According to MS Australia, symptoms can be "varied and unpredictable". The university will conduct an Australian-first study using a method known as "recall by genotype" to explore the genetic causes of MS. The research could uncover how the Epstein-Barr virus leads to MS in some people but not in others. "For many years we've known that the Epstein-Barr virus is a likely precursor for MS," said lead researcher Dr David Stacey said. "But because the virus affects up to 90% of the population, it's difficult to pin down why some people go on to develop MS while others don't. "We believe the way a person's immune system responds to the Epstein-Barr virus may be a key factor, and genetics can help us uncover that." The study will involve over calculating the genetic risk scores for over 1000 participants from South Australia who have not been diagnosed with MS. It will then compare traits against those with a high or low risk. "By grouping people based on their genetic profile, we expect to find those with a high genetic risk for MS will also show biological differences – even if they don't have the disease," Dr Stacey added. "That could reveal how the Epstein-Barr virus and MS are connected and identify early warning signs or biomarkers for MS." The university will conduct an Australian-first study using a method known as "recall by genotype" to explore the genetic causes of MS. (Getty) The 'recall by genotype' method used in this study will guide other researchers to establish standards operating procedures in similar genetic studies. Dr Stacey said it will help tackle ethical questions regarding sharing genetic risk information with patients. "If we identify people who are at risk of developing MS, we need to consider how – and whether – to share that information, particularly as this information may not yet be clinically actionable," Dr Stacey said. "This study will explore those ethical, legal and social questions to guide how future studies approach personal genetic risk." It's hoped the study will help support early diagnostic tools and preventative strategies for MS. health Australia national Research Study South Australia CONTACT US

A smile, though endometriosis is no laughing matter
A smile, though endometriosis is no laughing matter

The Advertiser

time6 hours ago

  • The Advertiser

A smile, though endometriosis is no laughing matter

Cara Walker was all smiles when she met Anthony Albanese, but as a woman living with endometriosis, she knows the strain that comes with managing a chronic condition. Labor is preparing to introduce legislation to parliament this week which will cap the cost of prescriptions on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme to $25 from $31.60 from 2026. Ahead of the bill being presented to the lower house, the prime minister and Health Minister Mark Butler on Tuesday hosted a group of women impacted by endometriosis to discuss the changes. Endometriosis is a disease which tissue grows outside of the uterus, often causing severe pain. Labor amended and made new listings for contraception, endometriosis and IVF on the PBS ahead of the federal election campaign this year. Ms Walker told Mr Albanese chopping and changing between medications to manage chronic conditions quickly added up and was a hit to the hip pocket. "For people who don't have chronic conditions, all of a sudden they could get a cancer diagnosis, something could happen, and that puts a lot of strain on families, so that helps ease that strain, and every little bit counts," she said. Labor made health a centrepiece of its election campaign, pledging $8.5 billion to strengthen Medicare in a bid to make nine out of 10 visits to the GP free by 2030. Pressed during Question Time about bulk billing rates, Mr Albanese pulled out a Medicare card, as he had often done on the campaign trail. "The timeline hasn't changed, the investment is unchanged, the modelling is the same," the prime minister said. Mr Butler also clarified the figures around expected uptake of an expanded bulk billing incentive following criticism rates would take years to improve. But the health minister defended the government's modelling which expects fully bulk-billed practices to rise from about a quarter to three. Opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston said people going to the doctor were paying out of pocket costs higher than what they had ever been. "Right the way through the election campaign, the prime minister waving around his Medicare card and telling Australians and I quote, 'All you'll need is your Medicare card, not your credit card,' was actually misleading the Australian public about the reality that is currently our health care system at the moment," she told ABC's RN. Cara Walker was all smiles when she met Anthony Albanese, but as a woman living with endometriosis, she knows the strain that comes with managing a chronic condition. Labor is preparing to introduce legislation to parliament this week which will cap the cost of prescriptions on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme to $25 from $31.60 from 2026. Ahead of the bill being presented to the lower house, the prime minister and Health Minister Mark Butler on Tuesday hosted a group of women impacted by endometriosis to discuss the changes. Endometriosis is a disease which tissue grows outside of the uterus, often causing severe pain. Labor amended and made new listings for contraception, endometriosis and IVF on the PBS ahead of the federal election campaign this year. Ms Walker told Mr Albanese chopping and changing between medications to manage chronic conditions quickly added up and was a hit to the hip pocket. "For people who don't have chronic conditions, all of a sudden they could get a cancer diagnosis, something could happen, and that puts a lot of strain on families, so that helps ease that strain, and every little bit counts," she said. Labor made health a centrepiece of its election campaign, pledging $8.5 billion to strengthen Medicare in a bid to make nine out of 10 visits to the GP free by 2030. Pressed during Question Time about bulk billing rates, Mr Albanese pulled out a Medicare card, as he had often done on the campaign trail. "The timeline hasn't changed, the investment is unchanged, the modelling is the same," the prime minister said. Mr Butler also clarified the figures around expected uptake of an expanded bulk billing incentive following criticism rates would take years to improve. But the health minister defended the government's modelling which expects fully bulk-billed practices to rise from about a quarter to three. Opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston said people going to the doctor were paying out of pocket costs higher than what they had ever been. "Right the way through the election campaign, the prime minister waving around his Medicare card and telling Australians and I quote, 'All you'll need is your Medicare card, not your credit card,' was actually misleading the Australian public about the reality that is currently our health care system at the moment," she told ABC's RN. Cara Walker was all smiles when she met Anthony Albanese, but as a woman living with endometriosis, she knows the strain that comes with managing a chronic condition. Labor is preparing to introduce legislation to parliament this week which will cap the cost of prescriptions on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme to $25 from $31.60 from 2026. Ahead of the bill being presented to the lower house, the prime minister and Health Minister Mark Butler on Tuesday hosted a group of women impacted by endometriosis to discuss the changes. Endometriosis is a disease which tissue grows outside of the uterus, often causing severe pain. Labor amended and made new listings for contraception, endometriosis and IVF on the PBS ahead of the federal election campaign this year. Ms Walker told Mr Albanese chopping and changing between medications to manage chronic conditions quickly added up and was a hit to the hip pocket. "For people who don't have chronic conditions, all of a sudden they could get a cancer diagnosis, something could happen, and that puts a lot of strain on families, so that helps ease that strain, and every little bit counts," she said. Labor made health a centrepiece of its election campaign, pledging $8.5 billion to strengthen Medicare in a bid to make nine out of 10 visits to the GP free by 2030. Pressed during Question Time about bulk billing rates, Mr Albanese pulled out a Medicare card, as he had often done on the campaign trail. "The timeline hasn't changed, the investment is unchanged, the modelling is the same," the prime minister said. Mr Butler also clarified the figures around expected uptake of an expanded bulk billing incentive following criticism rates would take years to improve. But the health minister defended the government's modelling which expects fully bulk-billed practices to rise from about a quarter to three. Opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston said people going to the doctor were paying out of pocket costs higher than what they had ever been. "Right the way through the election campaign, the prime minister waving around his Medicare card and telling Australians and I quote, 'All you'll need is your Medicare card, not your credit card,' was actually misleading the Australian public about the reality that is currently our health care system at the moment," she told ABC's RN. Cara Walker was all smiles when she met Anthony Albanese, but as a woman living with endometriosis, she knows the strain that comes with managing a chronic condition. Labor is preparing to introduce legislation to parliament this week which will cap the cost of prescriptions on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme to $25 from $31.60 from 2026. Ahead of the bill being presented to the lower house, the prime minister and Health Minister Mark Butler on Tuesday hosted a group of women impacted by endometriosis to discuss the changes. Endometriosis is a disease which tissue grows outside of the uterus, often causing severe pain. Labor amended and made new listings for contraception, endometriosis and IVF on the PBS ahead of the federal election campaign this year. Ms Walker told Mr Albanese chopping and changing between medications to manage chronic conditions quickly added up and was a hit to the hip pocket. "For people who don't have chronic conditions, all of a sudden they could get a cancer diagnosis, something could happen, and that puts a lot of strain on families, so that helps ease that strain, and every little bit counts," she said. Labor made health a centrepiece of its election campaign, pledging $8.5 billion to strengthen Medicare in a bid to make nine out of 10 visits to the GP free by 2030. Pressed during Question Time about bulk billing rates, Mr Albanese pulled out a Medicare card, as he had often done on the campaign trail. "The timeline hasn't changed, the investment is unchanged, the modelling is the same," the prime minister said. Mr Butler also clarified the figures around expected uptake of an expanded bulk billing incentive following criticism rates would take years to improve. But the health minister defended the government's modelling which expects fully bulk-billed practices to rise from about a quarter to three. Opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston said people going to the doctor were paying out of pocket costs higher than what they had ever been. "Right the way through the election campaign, the prime minister waving around his Medicare card and telling Australians and I quote, 'All you'll need is your Medicare card, not your credit card,' was actually misleading the Australian public about the reality that is currently our health care system at the moment," she told ABC's RN.

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