The federal government is staring threats from American medical giants that are aimed at the “Egregious” pharmaceutical benefit schedule (PBS) and promises to make medicines even cheaper from next year.
While American drug makers wrote to a high American trade officer who complained about “harmful pricing policy” in Australia, the federal government has unveiled a promise to reduce the costs of most PBS medicines to a maximum cost of $ 25, a fall of $ 31.60.
Australians will save a combined $ 200 million a year under the plan, which will cost $ 690 million for the next four years, with the money that must be included in next week’s budget.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that a re-elected Labor government would accept legislation to make the changes that would come into force from January 2026.
“Cheaper medicines is another way in which we help with the costs of living, while we put down on inflation-our-our number one focus,” he said.
“With cheaper medicines, more free general practitioners visits and a stronger medicare, we say to Australians: we have your back.”
The coalition said it would match the policy, the spokesperson for Healthcare Anne Ruston said that “would ensure that Australians have more affordable access to the medicines and treatments they need, at a time when health care has never been more expensive.”
The PBS is a program in which the government subsidizes certain medicines to make them cheaper for Australians to buy.
An independent body recommends what is on the PBS, with around 930 prescription medicines currently in the schedule.
The PBS has long been the target of the American pharmaceutical industry, which it regards it as a barrier for profitability because of the government prize controls.
Labor has already categorically excluded from touching the PBS in possible trade negotiations, but there is concern that the frustrations about the scheme could take revenge for revenge by becoming Australian pharmaceutical exports – which were worth $ US1.2 billion in 2023 – with punitive rates.
Labor wants to make health an important plank of his pitch pitch
Four of the five PBS medication costs $ 25 under the plan, with Australians being expected to save $ 786 million in four years.
Pensioners and concession card holders continue to pay $ 7.70 for their PBS medicines, with the price frozen at the current level until 2030.
In the next elections, Labor tried to make the health an important shelf of his costs of living and tried to contrast her record with the opposition leader Peter Dutton, who was the Minister of Health when the then government of Abbott wanted to introduce a very controversial compulsory fee for GP visits, a policy that was later dumped.
The PBS announcement is the last in a growing list of large health care expenditure, where the government promises last month to extend the Bulk billing stimulus to all Australians for an amount of $ 8.5 billion in four years.
“The last time Australians did not pay more than $ 25 for a PBS medicine was more than 20 years ago. Cheaper medicines are good for the hip bag and good for your health,” said Health Minister Mark Butler.
“The contrast that these elections are clear: cheaper drugs with a re -elected Albanian government, or to be honestly frightening in Peter Dutton, who wants to cost medicines more, no less.”
The coalition has tried to neutralize the attacks of Labor on its health record, which quickly corresponds to the $ 8.5 billion bulk invoice plan and a financing promise of half a billion for women’s health.
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