The Albanese government is continuing its re-election pitch with a $573 million funding promise for women’s health, including new spending to encourage long-term contraceptives.
Medicare rebates would be boosted significantly for women taking up long-term contraceptives, in an effort to lift their uptake.
Use of long-term contraceptives such as IUDs and birth control implants is relatively low in Australia compared to many similar countries, and the devices can help manage conditions like painful periods and endometriosis.
Long-acting reversible contraceptives are considered among the most effective forms of birth control and can last for up to 12 years.
GPs have campaigned for some time to see rebates increased, arguing while the insertion procedure is straightforward, it is also expensive.
The current Medicare rebate for the insertion of an IUD is just over $91 but would be lifted to more than $215 under the proposal. The rebate for removing an IUD would go from $61 to $134.
Lifting Medicare rebates for these and other procedures was a key recommendation of a parliamentary inquiry into reproductive health care that reported in 2023 but which the government is yet to formally respond to.
Alongside the new funding for long-term contraceptives, two new oral contraceptive pills are being listed on the PBS.
Yaz and Yasmin will be the first new pills available through the PBS in more than three decades and will be listed before the election.
Health Minister Mark Butler said the funding announcements came after plenty of advocacy for more options in contraception.
“It’s about time Australian women had more choice, lower costs and better health care,” he said.
Health Minister Mark Butler says this funding is a tribute to all the Australian women who have advocated for it. (ABC News: Ian Cutmore)
“Today’s announcement is a tribute to all the Australian women who have worked so hard, for so long, to have their voices heard and acknowledged.”
New funding for menopause treatment
The election pitch also includes new measures for women in menopause, including efforts to lift support and care provided by GPs.
A new Medicare rebate would be created for “menopause health assessments”, alongside funding provided for new training for health professionals in the area.
The Albanese government is also promising to build on a network of endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics operating around the country, lifting the number from 22 to 33.
The clinics would also expand their remit to offer support for menopause.
The Albanese government is also planning to build more endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)
$100m in funding would also go towards two new trials aimed at improving access to treatments for urinary tract infections.
Under the trials, those with a concession card will be able to see a pharmacist for a consult about a UTI at no cost, and only pay for any medication that is required.
The government has also announced three menopausal hormone treatments will be added to the PBS.
Prometrium, Estrogel and Estrogel Pro will all be added from March 1, the first new menopause treatments on the PBS in two decades.
