Prescription Charges to be Reduced by $12.50.
During the Election campaign the Labor party committed to lowering the PBS Medicines General Co-payment by $12.50 per script, instead of the $10 reduction planned by the previous Liberal government.
The effect of this is that the maximum someone should pay for prescriptions supplied under the PBS will only be $30 per script, instead of the planned $32.50.
Note: Not all prescriptions will cost $30. That is the maximum. Many will not change if the prescribed price is already under $30.
The cost of prescription medicines last rose on the 1st of January 2022.
The maximum cost to consumers of medicines listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) rose to $42.50 on the 1st January 2022.
What are Medicare Prescription Charges.
Medicare Prescription Charges have a maximum price that can be charged to Medicare Card holders. These are the subsidised prices so that most people pay less than the actual cost of the medicine.
People with a concession card pay a much lower price than the normal subsidised prices.
From 1 January 2022, you may pay up to $42.50 for most PBS medicines or $6.60 if you have a concession card.
From a date after the 2022 Federal Election in May 2022, that amount will be $30.00. The price for concession card holders has not been confirmed.
Some Pharmacys give a $1 discount, so the cost for a concession card holder might be $5.60 at these pharmacys. For example:
-
- In May 2022, I paid $5.60 for a prescription.
- In March 2020, I paid $5.60 for a prescription.
- In 2019, I paid $5.50 for my prescriptions.
- In 2018, I paid $5.40 for my prescriptions.
Some prescriptions are not on the PBS system, and you pay the Full price. One of these in 2022, cost me $9.20. On rare occasions some can cost many thousands.
History of Australian Prescription Fees 2001-2022.
- 2001 Concession card Holders paid $3.50. Normal price was $21.90
- 2002 Concession card Holders paid $3.60. Normal price was $22.40
- 2003 Concession card Holders paid $3.70. Normal price was $23.10
- 2004 Concession card Holders paid $3.80. Normal price was $23.70
- 2005 Concession card Holders paid $4.60. Normal price was $28.60
- 2006 Concession card Holders paid $4.70. Normal price was $29.50
- 2007 Concession card Holders paid $4.90. Normal price was $30.70
- 2008 Concession card Holders paid $5.00. Normal price was $31.30
- 2009 Concession card Holders paid $5.30. Normal price was $32.90
- 2010 Concession card Holders paid $5.40. Normal price was $33.30
- 2011 Concession card Holders paid $5.60. Normal price was $34.20
- 2012 Concession card Holders paid $5.80. Normal price was $35.40
- 2013 Concession card Holders paid $5.90. Normal price was $36.10
- 2014 Concession card Holders paid $6.00. Normal price was $36.90
- 2015 Concession card Holders paid $6.10. Normal price was $37.70
- 2016 Concession card Holders paid $6.20. Normal price was $38.30
- 2017 Concession card Holders paid $6.30. Normal price was $38.80
- 2018 Concession card Holders paid $6.40. Normal price was $39.50
- 2019 Concession card Holders paid $6.50. Normal price was $40.30
- 2020 Concession card Holders paid $6.60. Normal price was $41.00
- 2021 Concession card Holders paid $6.60. Normal price was $41.30
- 2022 Concession card Holders paid $6.60. Normal price was $42.50
More can be see at: www.pbs.gov.au/…/fee