Australian women are set to benefit from more choice, better healthcare, and lower treatment costs under a half-billion-dollar announcement from the Federal Government.
Labor is expected to unveil its $573 million pledge for women’s health later today.
The pledge will see new subsidies for reproductive health treatments, along with adding new oral contraceptive pills to the PBS.
Contraceptive pills Yaz and Yasmin will be among the medications that will be added to the PBS.
These pills are used by 50,000 women across the country, and typically cost $380 a year.
New Medicare rebates will be introduced for menopause assessments by a GP, and Australia’s first set of guidelines on the condition will be developed.
Menopausal hormone therapies will be added to the PBS for the first time in 20 years from March 1.
Estrogel Pro, Estrogel and Prometrium will become available to help alleviate symptoms of women who have reached menopause.
More than 100,000 are currently paying privately for these medicines.
The package will also include a boost to rebates for IUDs and birth control implants.
Peak health bodies have backed today’s announcement, including the Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP).
“The RACGP has been calling for more funding for women’s health and we applaud the Albanese Government for this package, particularly funding for health assessments and LARCs,” RACGP President Dr Michael Wright said.
“We know cost-of-living is hitting women hard. Surveys show women are more likely to have delayed seeking essential healthcare due to costs than men. And, on top of this, medical misogyny is embedded in Medicare.”
