Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government) Share this | Hansard source

():  I thank the member for Newcastle for the question. The member for Newcastle is one of the people in this place who has done a huge amount not just for women's health but across the whole spectrum of issues that affect women. You couldn't have a greater champion than the member for Newcastle. Women's health care is, of course, not just a women's issue. It is crucial to our families, our communities and our economy that women are able to exercise choice and control over their health care. As a government we understand this and it's why, when we came to government in 2022, we made it one of our top priorities.

This government has been working to reverse years of neglect of women's health, with our $729 million package to deliver more choice, lower costs and better health care for women. Women have asked government to take their health care seriously and we have listened. Our landmark women's health package could save women and their families thousands of dollars across their lifetimes, and I'm very pleased today to report that, in just 48 hours, many of these changes will come into effect. From 1 November, women will have better access to affordable contraceptive options thanks to this government's women's health package.

We're providing Australian women more choice, lower costs and better support for long-term contraceptives, with larger Medicare payments and more bulk-billing for IUDs and birth control implants. Medical rebates for insertion of IUDs and birth control implants will increase by up to 150 per cent, with around 300,000 women each year expected to save up to $400 in out-of-pocket costs. We are also funding free training for healthcare practitioners in the insertion and removal of IUDs to boost the number of qualified practitioners and improve access to services. A 40 per cent bulk-billing incentive will incentivise health professionals to provide long-acting contraceptive services and support more women to choose the contraceptive options that work best for them.

We are also adding new contraceptive options such as NuvaRing to the PBS, providing women more choices at a much more affordable cost. Before the listing of this contraceptive option on the PBS, women might have paid more than $270 a year. Now they will only have to pay $31.60 per script or $7.70 if they're concessional. These changes should not be underestimated. For many women they are life changing. They come on top of the first PBS listings of new oral contraceptives in more than 30 years. The AMA has said our package is a major investment in women's health, and the college of GPs has said that better funding for women's health is an investment that will pay off and improve health care. On this side of the chamber, we are investing in the health of women.

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