Cheaper IVF and endometriosis treatments on PBS pledged by Labor

Thousands of Australian women experiencing endometriosis, undergoing fertility treatment and using contraception will soon save hundreds – and, in some cases, thousands – of dollars a year as the Albanese government boosts its commitment to women’s health ahead of the election.

The move to list more medications on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) comes after the government last month pledged $573 million towards reproductive health treatments, including cheaper hormone replacement therapies and new oral contraceptives, which aim to give direct financial relief to at least half a million women.

Women undergoing IVF will have earlier and cheaper access to a treatment option known as Pergoveris.Credit: iStock

Health Minister Mark Butler said the additional listings – to be announced on Sunday – covering IVF, endometriosis and contraception would improve the quality of life of hundreds of thousands of Australian women.

“Women have asked government to take their healthcare seriously, and we have listened,” Butler said. “These listings could save women and their families thousands of dollars across their lifetimes.”

Once medicines are listed on the PBS, they cost Australians only $31.60 per script, or $7.70 for those with concession cards. For unsubsidised medicines, out-of-pocket costs are unregulated.

Progestogen-only contraceptive pill Slinda – used by some women who cannot take estrogen-based options – will be listed on the PBS from May 1. More than 100,000 women a year are expected to benefit from this listing, paying between $23 and $95 for a year’s supply, instead of the current $250 for a year of treatment.

While an older progestogen-only pill, Microlut, is already subsidised at $12 for a four-month supply, it can be less effective and cause irregular bleeding.

For the roughly one in seven women who suffer from endometriosis, treatment option Ryeqo will also be listed from May 1. About 8500 of these women, who experience moderate to severe pain and cannot get adequate relief from other hormonal treatments and painkillers, will be able to access the treatment for between $92 and $380 a year, down from $2700.

Endometriosis Australia medical director Anusch Yazdani said the listing of Ryeqo would increase its uptake among women, especially those facing financial hardship or living in rural, remote and Indigenous communities.

“One of the biggest barriers to accessing Ryeqo has been the cost,” he said. “It’s also taken orally, so it’s easier to take than some of the existing treatments on the PBS, and has a better side-effect profile.”

Women undergoing IVF will also get earlier – and more affordable – access to a form of treatment from the start of their IVF journeys. From April 1, women with low levels of specific reproductive hormones will have access through the PBS to a combination of treatments, known as Pergoveris, which was previously funded only in later IVF cycles.

They will also be able to get double the maximum number of Pergoveris pens per script – four instead of two – expected to benefit more than 6000 women. Without the PBS listing, four Pergoveris pens, the amount required by many to complete a cycle, would cost more than $3500. With the PBS subsidy, it will cost up to $31.60.

An Adelaide-based medical director and fertility specialist at Repromed Fertility Clinic, Juliette Koch, said she saw the challenges faced by women on a daily basis, and the additional listings would help more women use the treatments that worked for them.

“These treatments, from contraceptives to fertility treatments, are used by thousands of women across various phases of their lives, for 20 or 30 years, but come with different side-effect profiles for different people,” she said.

“So it’s important to have more affordable options. I think these changes will have a really significant impact.”

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