What is the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS)?
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) was created by the Australian Government to provide affordable access to necessary medicines for Australians.
If a medicine is subsidised under the PBS, Australian residents who have a Medicare card pay a lower price for the medicine and the Government pays the rest.
If your cover includes pharmaceutical, you are able to claim the amount above the patient co-payment amount (for the general population) up to the benefit amount.
The co-payment is the portion you contribute towards the cost of your PBS-subsidised medicine. In many cases, the actual cost of PBS medicines is substantially higher than the co-payment.
A benefit will not be paid for medicines or medications which are
prescriptions less than PBS co-payment of $31.60
available without a medical practitioner’s prescription
not approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration
prescribed for contraceptive purposes.
For more information visit www.pbs.gov.au.
