This piece is freely available to read. Become a paid subscriber today and help keep Mencari News financially afloat so that we can continue to pay our writers for their insight and expertise.
Today’s Article is brought to you by Empower your podcasting vision with a suite of creative solutions at your fingertips.
Health Minister Mark Butler announced Monday that 500,000 Australian women have filled 1.2 million cheaper prescriptions under an $800 million women’s health package that has added eight new medications to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in just 12 months, saving tens of millions of dollars while ending decades-long gaps in affordable access to contraceptives and hormone treatments.
Butler revealed the figures during Question Time while outlining additional measures taking effect this week, including a fourth contraceptive option and new Medicare services expected to save 300,000 women approximately $400 annually.
“For too long we have heard, Mr Speaker, that women have been getting a raw deal from the PBS and from Medicare in far too many areas,” Butler said.
The Minister detailed significant historical gaps in pharmaceutical coverage that the government has moved to address. For more than 30 years, no new oral contraceptive pill was listed on the PBS, he said. For 30 years, no new endometriosis medicine appeared on the scheme. For 20 years, no new menopause hormone treatment received PBS listing.
“Not because they didn’t exist. They did. They were widely used,” Butler said. “It’s just that no-one bothered putting them on the PBS, meaning that women had to pay top dollar for the cutting-edge clinical treatment.”
The $800 million women’s health package announced earlier this year has rapidly expanded pharmaceutical access. In just 12 months, the PBS has added three new oral contraceptive pills — Yaz, Yasmin, and Slinda — which Butler said are “widely used by women at affordable PBS prices.”
Truth matters. Quality journalism costs.
Your subscription to Mencari directly funds the investigative reporting our democracy needs. For less than a coffee per week, you enable our journalists to uncover stories that powerful interests would rather keep hidden. There is no corporate influence involved. No compromises. Just honest journalism when we need it most.
Not ready to be paid subscribe, but appreciate the newsletter ? Grab us a beer or snag the exclusive ad spot at the top of next week's newsletter.
The scheme has also added three new menopause hormone treatments and two new endometriosis medicines, according to the Minister.
Butler said half a million Australian women have already filled 1.2 million cheaper scripts as a result of these additions, “saving tens and tens of millions of dollars at the pharmacy counter.”
Beyond cost savings, Butler emphasized the measures provide “dignity and the respect and the recognition that our system should always have been giving them.”
This week will see the addition of a fourth new contraceptive to the PBS, this one a ring device, “which will give women even more affordable choices around contraception,” Butler said.
On Saturday, new Medicare services will become available to support access to long-acting reversible contraceptives including implants and intrauterine devices.
“We think 300,000 women every year because of that measure alone will save around $400 to access that different type of medicine,” Butler said.
The Minister framed affordable contraception as essential health care rather than discretionary spending.
“Affordable, accessible contraception is not a luxury, it’s not a discretion, it is essential healthcare,” Butler said.
Following further medicine price cuts scheduled for January 1, Australian women “for the first time, will have access to the widest possible range of contraception for no more than $100 a year,” according to Butler.
The Minister credited the government’s female representation with driving attention to women’s health issues. Butler noted the government is 57 percent women and said the health agenda reflects priorities emphasized by female caucus members.
“You cannot be serious about strengthening Medicare without getting serious about women’s health,” Butler said.
He praised the Assistant Minister for Health for leading work in this area and said he joined “literally dozens of members, female members, of our caucus earlier this morning to announce the latest measures in our women’s health agenda.”
The pharmaceutical additions represent a significant policy shift after years of limited updates to women’s health offerings on the PBS. The scheme provides subsidized access to medications, with most prescriptions costing patients a maximum copayment while the government covers the remainder.
Butler’s announcement comes as the government has made Medicare reform and expanded pharmaceutical access central elements of its health care agenda. The women’s health package represents one component of broader efforts to reduce out-of-pocket costs and improve access to essential medications.
The PBS additions address conditions affecting millions of Australian women. Endometriosis affects approximately one in nine Australian women and can cause severe pain and fertility issues. Menopause affects all women, typically between ages 45 and 55, with hormone treatments helping manage symptoms including hot flashes, mood changes, and bone density loss.
Contraceptive access has implications for family planning, economic participation, and health management. The contraceptive pills added to the PBS include options that also treat conditions including acne and premenstrual dysphoric disorder.
The long-acting reversible contraceptives supported by the new Medicare services include implants placed under the skin of the upper arm and IUDs inserted into the uterus. These methods provide years of contraceptive protection and have higher effectiveness rates than daily pills, according to health authorities.
Cost has been a significant barrier to LARC uptake, with women previously facing hundreds of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses for insertion procedures and device costs. The new Medicare services aim to make these options financially accessible to more women.
Butler did not provide a breakdown of adoption rates for specific medications or detail which conditions were seeing the highest utilization of newly listed treatments.
The Minister also did not address questions about pharmaceutical company pricing negotiations or criteria used to prioritize which medications received PBS listing under the women’s health package.
Health advocacy groups have long called for expanded PBS coverage of women’s health medications, arguing that gaps in the scheme forced women to pay significantly more than men for comparable health conditions.
The government’s focus on women’s health comes amid broader political attention to gender equity in health care funding and service delivery. Women’s health advocates have documented disparities in research funding, treatment options, and out-of-pocket costs compared to men’s health conditions.
Butler’s announcement emphasized the government’s positioning of these measures as part of its “strengthening Medicare agenda,” framing pharmaceutical access as integral to broader health system reform.
Sustaining Mencari Requires Your Support
Independent journalism costs money. Help us continue delivering in-depth investigations and unfiltered commentary on the world's real stories. Your financial contribution enables thorough investigative work and thoughtful analysis, all supported by a dedicated community committed to accuracy and transparency.
Subscribe today to unlock our full archive of investigative reporting and fearless analysis. Subscribing to independent media outlets represents more than just information consumption—it embodies a commitment to factual reporting.
As well as knowing you’re keeping Mencari (Australia) alive, you’ll also get:
Get breaking news AS IT HAPPENS - Gain instant access to our real-time coverage and analysis when major stories break, keeping you ahead of the curve
Unlock our COMPLETE content library - Enjoy unlimited access to every newsletter, podcast episode, and exclusive archive—all seamlessly available in your favorite podcast apps.
Join the conversation that matters - Be part of our vibrant community with full commenting privileges on all content, directly supporting The Evening Post (Australia)
Catch up on some of Mencari’s recent stories:
It only takes a minute to help us investigate fearlessly and expose lies and wrongdoing to hold power accountable. Thanks!