These results prove one thing., page-124

The more things change... Labor introduces reform, Libs repeal. Turnbull did nothing to counter this notion.

The primary achievement of the Whitlam Government in this area was the creation of Medibank, Australia’s national health insurance system. The system would provide free access to hospitals and a range of other medical services.

1  The maximum gap between a doctor’s fee and the Medibank rebate was to be $5.

2  Medibank was designed to provide health coverage for the 17% of Australians who did not have, or could not afford private health insurance.

3 Before Medibank, the government provided tax concessions to encourage adoption of private health insurance. However, these arrangements were grossly inequitable, with high income earners paying less than low income earners for the same health insurance coverage.

4  The introduction of the system was met with ferocious opposition from many in the medical profession, the General Practitioners’ Society, the Australian Medical Association and the private health funds.

5  Opponents argued that the system constituted a socialist takeover, and that the freedom of Australian citizens was at stake.

6  Some doctors opposed the reforms because of their concerns that the system would reduce their income.

7  The legislation enabling the reform, the Health Insurance Commission Bill and the Health Insurance Bill did not enjoy an easy passage through parliament. These bills were repeatedly blocked by the Senate, and only became law once a double dissolution election in May 1974, and a joint sitting of the Parliament was held in July – the first such sitting in Australian history.

8 Agreements with state governments were then negotiated to integrate their hospitals into the system, though these negotiations were also protracted and difficult.

9  The Medibank system began operation on October 1, 1975.

10 Although the Fraser Government repealed elements of the Medibank system, it was largely restored again as the Medicare system we know today, after the defeat of the Fraser Government (1975-1983) by the Labor Party in 1983.

https://www.whitlam.org/gough_whitlam/achievements/healthandsocialsecurity