PRIME Minister Julia Gillard says she will legislate to increase the Medicare levy to support Labor's national disability care scheme before September's federal election. Ms Gillard was responding on Thursday to an offer by Opposition Leader Tony Abbott to "consider" supporting the Medicare increase. "I am very pleased that today the leader of the opposition has said ... he is prepared to support an increase," she told reporters in Launceston. The leader of the opposition has changed his mind on this matter. On the basis of that change of mind by the leader of the opposition, I will bring to the parliament the legislation to increase the Medicare levy by half a per cent. This means the bill to enact the increase will be introduced to parliament before the September federal election.