Contraceptives and menopause treatments to be subsidised as federal government pledges $573m for women’s health Birth control devices and HRT therapies to be listed on PBS alongside Medicare and bulk-billing changes, with Coalition immediately backing policy.
The addition of menopause treatment and contraceptives to the PBS will come into force on 1 March, while new Medicare rebates for menopause health assessments by GPs would start from 1 July.
The raft of health measures also includes higher Medicare payments and bulk billing for intrauterine devices (IUDs) and birth control implants, which the government calculated could save up to 300,000 Australian women $400 in out-of-pocket costs.
The opposition has backed the policy, with the shadow cabinet minister, Michaelia Cash, telling Sky News the announcement “builds” on the work of the former Coalition government’s National Women’s Health Strategy.
Menopause treatments including Estrogel, Promentrium and Estrogel Pro, some of which have previously experienced supply shortages, will also be on the PBS, saving women up to $290 a year, or $577 for those with a concession card.
