With not one new disease added nationally since the Prime Minister’s April 2022 commitment and over $107M invested, it is time to move the Newborn Bloodspot Screening Program to the MBS to deliver on the Prime Minister’s promise to make Australia a world-leader once again.

Prioritise the implementation of the screening for Pompe disease which was the Prime Minister’s key area of concern in his April 2022 announcement, and which has been set aside by his HTA advisers.

THIS IS A BROKEN PROMISE THAT NEEDS TO HONOURED

Reduce the current Child Care Subsidy income eligibility thresholds from $535,279 to $280,000 per household (inclusive of family tax benefits).

Introduce income assessments for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) to introduce co-payments or part payments consistent with access to health care services.

Introduce co-pays for the Life Saving Drugs Program (LSDP).

Introduce means testing with accompanying tiered reductions in subsidies for the solar battery rebate scheme using models and income thresholds such as Family Tax Benefit B or the PHI subsidy model for income levels and gradual reductions in the 30% subsidy.

Increase the healthcare card threshold for families to align with the healthcare card threshold for retired seniors (currently $161,708) to provide better access to medicines, diagnostics and clinician care in the primary care setting. Apply this to the MBS, PBS and NDSS.

Consider linking safety-net thresholds between PBS, MBS, NDSS and newly introduced NDIS co-contributions to ensure genuine safety net for high health and disability support care users.

End costs to patients and government of unnecessary annual specialist referrals for long-term chronic disease care.

Accept the place and access potential of PHI in Australia’s healthcare system and allow private health to cover out of pocket costs and even deliver healthcare in the primary care setting, consistent with the mental health funding model.

Continue to recognise the capacity and cost-effectiveness of greater use of nurses, pharmacists and telehealth in the delivery of primary care services to improve timeliness of care, and affordability of care for patients and the health system.

In partnership with the increase in eligibility for the healthcare card in 2(A) above, introduce a new mid-tier co-pay on the PBS of $10 for this new patient cohort and increase the PBS general co-pay to $35 for those earning over this new agreed threshold. Maintain current concession co-pay for low-income earners and move senior healthcare card holders to the new $10 tier.

Make all three PBS safety nets 36 scripts for all.

Allow medicines prescribed by a pharmacist to be eligible for PBS-supply irrespective of concessional/mid-tier/general patient status.

Expedite implementation of the PBAC’s recommendation to review off patent medicines for consideration as a general listing to allow equality or better access where deemed clinically appropriate by the treating clinician, regardless of original subsidy criteria, and irrespective of ARTG registration.

Set target of CPI or Health CPI for net growth for F1 medicines.

Provide increased funding of medicines for chronic disease on the PBS recognising the Government’s commitment to 5% of all health investment being targeted at prevention, which modification of diseases such as diabetes, migraine, obesity should be recognised as a contributor to prevention of comorbidities and poorer health.

Partially offset these increases by replacing price disclosure with annual fixed price cuts to off patent (F2) medicines commencing with a 50% reduction upon movement to F2. The model should balance prescription volumes and allow a formal appeal process to prevent shortages. The framework should be applied retrospectively to biological medicines which are still not achieving the price reductions envisaged and preventing expansion of indications.

Expand subsidised access to adult immunisations on the National Immunisation Program consistent with the expert advice of ATAGI relating to immunisation need in immunocompromised health in the community – either disease related or impact of other medications on the immune system. Include this as part of the 5% target for preventive health investment by 2030 (using Shingrix® access as a base model).

Introduce KPIs of 100 days for subsidised access to medicines, diagnostics and medical devices to drive a change in the processes for evaluation, contracting and funding between government and industry putting patients first.

Make PBS and MBS decision-making systems accountable to the community by making all subsidy decisions eligible for review under the current Administrative Appeals Tribunal and its future replacement model.

Publish the PBS in net terms showing the breakdown of rebates at an aggregated level split between Special Pricing Arrangement rebates and Risk Share Arrangement rebates. Publish as part of Budget paper forecasts and reconciliation thereafter.

DO NOT progress the proposal to compel all medicines prescribed to an individual to be loaded on their ehealth record without substantive consultation and an opt-in default. The Australian Immunisation Register model that denies patients who pay for private vaccinations the right to refuse their central recording should not be automatically replicated.

Contrary to current legislation before the parliament, improve the operations of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 1982, with higher standards of access legislated, greater penalties for agencies that obfuscate, and delay access supported by a significant injection of funds to improve the services of the Australian Office of Information Commissioner (AOIC).

Read our full Budget Submission here - Better Access Australia 2026-27 Budget Submission