When it comes to managing your health, the first person you might turn to is your GP.
General practitioners cover everything from acute illnesses like infections and flu, as well as chronic conditions such as depression and diabetes.
Yet so far, there's been very little in this election campaign on how either party would improve and fund access to quality GP care.
"We've seen really no clear vision about how the very clear challenges that are here with us now are going to be addressed by a future government," Australian Medical Association president Dr Omar Khorsid said.
Experts say to keep people out of hospital, we need a major shift to focus on prevention, as well as putting GPs at the centre of people's care.
For example, multi-disciplinary care could mean you have access to a diabetes nurse educator, a podiatrist, an exercise physiologist or a psychologist, in a one-stop-shop of sorts.
Leanne Wells, chief executive of advocacy group the Consumer Health Forum, says the key is allowing GPs to coordinate the care of their patients, including visits to allied health — ideally in the form of an all-in-one medical hub.
"Team care arrangements through a general practice, funded to a better level, would far better meet the needs of people [with complex chronic conditions or multiple comorbidities] who need that complete primary care," she said.
For this to happen though, the current fee-for-service model would need to change.
"If we can bolster primary health care and its capacity to respond better … we're going to make greater inroads into keeping the pressure off our hospital system," Ms Wells said.
Leading doctors' groups support a shake-up to primary care, with a voluntary "medical home" system to promote continuity of care and allied health under one roof.
Dr Khorshid says having well-funded primary care helps reduce the pressure on hospitals too.
"We know if these chronic diseases are managed better it will keep people out of hospitals and reduce the number of expensive investigations required," he said.
But so far, there's been nothing like that from either side.
Measures 'welcome' but more reform needed, experts say
Instead, plans to reduce the cost of medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits System (PBS) have been announced by both parties.
Labor's plan is to cut costs of medicines on the PBS by $12.50 — going slightly further than the Coalition's plan to cut prices by $10.
Both proposals would make medicines cheaper, particularly for people with chronic conditions who take medication on a regular basis.
The proposals are welcomed by patient groups.
"We know that people are forgoing healthcare because they have to buy food and petrol and pay their rent, so anything that can make medications more affordable is a really good measure," Ms Wells said.
Labor has promised to deliver at least 50 Urgent Care Clinics to help take pressure off emergency departments, and also says it will set up an Australian Centre for Disease Control to prepare for future pandemics.
The Coalition says it supports GPs and patients through making telehealth permanent at a cost of $5 billion.
It's pledged $146 million for rural health, to boost the work-force and increase access to services in regional Australia.
Labor says it will support GPs by expanding the overseas-trained and bonded doctor access to Medicare, ensuring more GPs work in outer suburban and regional centres.
"This will make it easier for Australians to see a GP in large parts of outer-metro and regional Australia," a Labor spokesperson said.
Some announcements have been made for mental health care too.
The Coalition says it will fund a youth-led mental health organisation, and Labor says it will restore regional and rural telehealth psychiatry appointments.
Both parties have also promised billions to improve aged care.
Hopes for bigger announcements in next three weeks
But when it comes to primary care, so far, nothing major has been announced.
And that's frustrated many in the health sector.
Health economist Angela Jackson said it was disappointing that health wasn't a bigger focus this election campaign, especially after COVID-19.
She said while the announced initiatives were welcome, they didn't address what the system fundamentally needs.
"Which political party is going to deliver a health system that is more equitable, but is sustainable going forward? I think these are the questions that Australians want answered," Dr Jackson said.
"They want to know that when they need healthcare they're going to get it, and they're not going to have to wait, and they're not going to pay huge out of pocket costs.
"These reforms are long overdue, and we really need to get going if we're going to beat the wave of the ageing population that's coming."
Ms Wells is also hoping to see bigger announcements for the healthcare system.
"We need to bolster primary care, not let it continue to crumble," she said.
