The federal government is projecting it will save $136.8 million over the next four years through a reduction in duplication of pathology and diagnostic imaging tests due to the use of the My Health Record, with the remaining $112m claimed in this month's federal budget coming from unclear 'health system efficiencies'.

Department of Health officials told the Senate community affairs committee in an estimates hearing last night that modelling it had done based on the system becoming opt-out, with an assumption of a higher take-up by healthcare practitioners, showed savings will begin to accrue from year two of opt out.

This has been calculated at $305 million over four years and included in this month's federal budget as an offset to the new spending of $374.5m, a move the federal opposition described as “incredibly speculative”.