Latest news with #PharmaceuticalBenefitsScheme
The Advertiser
19 hours ago
- Health
- The Advertiser
A smile, though endometriosis is no laughing matter
Cara Walker was all smiles when she met Anthony Albanese, but as a woman living with endometriosis, she knows the strain that comes with managing a chronic condition. Labor is preparing to introduce legislation to parliament this week which will cap the cost of prescriptions on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme to $25 from $31.60 from 2026. Ahead of the bill being presented to the lower house, the prime minister and Health Minister Mark Butler on Tuesday hosted a group of women impacted by endometriosis to discuss the changes. Endometriosis is a disease which tissue grows outside of the uterus, often causing severe pain. Labor amended and made new listings for contraception, endometriosis and IVF on the PBS ahead of the federal election campaign this year. Ms Walker told Mr Albanese chopping and changing between medications to manage chronic conditions quickly added up and was a hit to the hip pocket. "For people who don't have chronic conditions, all of a sudden they could get a cancer diagnosis, something could happen, and that puts a lot of strain on families, so that helps ease that strain, and every little bit counts," she said. Labor made health a centrepiece of its election campaign, pledging $8.5 billion to strengthen Medicare in a bid to make nine out of 10 visits to the GP free by 2030. Pressed during Question Time about bulk billing rates, Mr Albanese pulled out a Medicare card, as he had often done on the campaign trail. "The timeline hasn't changed, the investment is unchanged, the modelling is the same," the prime minister said. Mr Butler also clarified the figures around expected uptake of an expanded bulk billing incentive following criticism rates would take years to improve. But the health minister defended the government's modelling which expects fully bulk-billed practices to rise from about a quarter to three. Opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston said people going to the doctor were paying out of pocket costs higher than what they had ever been. "Right the way through the election campaign, the prime minister waving around his Medicare card and telling Australians and I quote, 'All you'll need is your Medicare card, not your credit card,' was actually misleading the Australian public about the reality that is currently our health care system at the moment," she told ABC's RN. Cara Walker was all smiles when she met Anthony Albanese, but as a woman living with endometriosis, she knows the strain that comes with managing a chronic condition. Labor is preparing to introduce legislation to parliament this week which will cap the cost of prescriptions on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme to $25 from $31.60 from 2026. Ahead of the bill being presented to the lower house, the prime minister and Health Minister Mark Butler on Tuesday hosted a group of women impacted by endometriosis to discuss the changes. Endometriosis is a disease which tissue grows outside of the uterus, often causing severe pain. Labor amended and made new listings for contraception, endometriosis and IVF on the PBS ahead of the federal election campaign this year. Ms Walker told Mr Albanese chopping and changing between medications to manage chronic conditions quickly added up and was a hit to the hip pocket. "For people who don't have chronic conditions, all of a sudden they could get a cancer diagnosis, something could happen, and that puts a lot of strain on families, so that helps ease that strain, and every little bit counts," she said. Labor made health a centrepiece of its election campaign, pledging $8.5 billion to strengthen Medicare in a bid to make nine out of 10 visits to the GP free by 2030. Pressed during Question Time about bulk billing rates, Mr Albanese pulled out a Medicare card, as he had often done on the campaign trail. "The timeline hasn't changed, the investment is unchanged, the modelling is the same," the prime minister said. Mr Butler also clarified the figures around expected uptake of an expanded bulk billing incentive following criticism rates would take years to improve. But the health minister defended the government's modelling which expects fully bulk-billed practices to rise from about a quarter to three. Opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston said people going to the doctor were paying out of pocket costs higher than what they had ever been. "Right the way through the election campaign, the prime minister waving around his Medicare card and telling Australians and I quote, 'All you'll need is your Medicare card, not your credit card,' was actually misleading the Australian public about the reality that is currently our health care system at the moment," she told ABC's RN. Cara Walker was all smiles when she met Anthony Albanese, but as a woman living with endometriosis, she knows the strain that comes with managing a chronic condition. Labor is preparing to introduce legislation to parliament this week which will cap the cost of prescriptions on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme to $25 from $31.60 from 2026. Ahead of the bill being presented to the lower house, the prime minister and Health Minister Mark Butler on Tuesday hosted a group of women impacted by endometriosis to discuss the changes. Endometriosis is a disease which tissue grows outside of the uterus, often causing severe pain. Labor amended and made new listings for contraception, endometriosis and IVF on the PBS ahead of the federal election campaign this year. Ms Walker told Mr Albanese chopping and changing between medications to manage chronic conditions quickly added up and was a hit to the hip pocket. "For people who don't have chronic conditions, all of a sudden they could get a cancer diagnosis, something could happen, and that puts a lot of strain on families, so that helps ease that strain, and every little bit counts," she said. Labor made health a centrepiece of its election campaign, pledging $8.5 billion to strengthen Medicare in a bid to make nine out of 10 visits to the GP free by 2030. Pressed during Question Time about bulk billing rates, Mr Albanese pulled out a Medicare card, as he had often done on the campaign trail. "The timeline hasn't changed, the investment is unchanged, the modelling is the same," the prime minister said. Mr Butler also clarified the figures around expected uptake of an expanded bulk billing incentive following criticism rates would take years to improve. But the health minister defended the government's modelling which expects fully bulk-billed practices to rise from about a quarter to three. Opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston said people going to the doctor were paying out of pocket costs higher than what they had ever been. "Right the way through the election campaign, the prime minister waving around his Medicare card and telling Australians and I quote, 'All you'll need is your Medicare card, not your credit card,' was actually misleading the Australian public about the reality that is currently our health care system at the moment," she told ABC's RN. Cara Walker was all smiles when she met Anthony Albanese, but as a woman living with endometriosis, she knows the strain that comes with managing a chronic condition. Labor is preparing to introduce legislation to parliament this week which will cap the cost of prescriptions on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme to $25 from $31.60 from 2026. Ahead of the bill being presented to the lower house, the prime minister and Health Minister Mark Butler on Tuesday hosted a group of women impacted by endometriosis to discuss the changes. Endometriosis is a disease which tissue grows outside of the uterus, often causing severe pain. Labor amended and made new listings for contraception, endometriosis and IVF on the PBS ahead of the federal election campaign this year. Ms Walker told Mr Albanese chopping and changing between medications to manage chronic conditions quickly added up and was a hit to the hip pocket. "For people who don't have chronic conditions, all of a sudden they could get a cancer diagnosis, something could happen, and that puts a lot of strain on families, so that helps ease that strain, and every little bit counts," she said. Labor made health a centrepiece of its election campaign, pledging $8.5 billion to strengthen Medicare in a bid to make nine out of 10 visits to the GP free by 2030. Pressed during Question Time about bulk billing rates, Mr Albanese pulled out a Medicare card, as he had often done on the campaign trail. "The timeline hasn't changed, the investment is unchanged, the modelling is the same," the prime minister said. Mr Butler also clarified the figures around expected uptake of an expanded bulk billing incentive following criticism rates would take years to improve. But the health minister defended the government's modelling which expects fully bulk-billed practices to rise from about a quarter to three. Opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston said people going to the doctor were paying out of pocket costs higher than what they had ever been. "Right the way through the election campaign, the prime minister waving around his Medicare card and telling Australians and I quote, 'All you'll need is your Medicare card, not your credit card,' was actually misleading the Australian public about the reality that is currently our health care system at the moment," she told ABC's RN.
The Advertiser
a day ago
- Health
- The Advertiser
Why are there still hepatitis C deaths?
Every so often, a medical breakthrough reshapes the health landscape and offers new hope. The cure for hepatitis C is one such medical breakthrough - as significant as the discovery of penicillin. It has saved millions around the world from developing severe liver disease and liver cancer by curing their hepatitis C. It is the first ever drug to cure a virus and completely cure a chronic disease, and has been declared an "essential medicine" by the World Health Organisation. It forms the backbone of treatments offered to people living with hepatitis C in Australia today - a painless cure of one tablet per day for up to 12 weeks. It's a simple molecule that blocks the virus from replicating and is very effective, has minimal side effects, and is vastly superior to previous treatments like interferon. Since it became available under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in 2016, 62.9 per cent of all people living in Australia with hepatitis C have received the cure. Yet despite this, about 70,000 Australians still live with hepatitis C. Why, in a country with universal health care and a commitment to disease elimination, are so many people still being left behind? New analysis done by Hepatitis Australia shows that 84 per cent of people now living with hepatitis C no longer inject drugs or contracted the virus in other ways: through blood transfusions before blood screening was introduced in 1990; unsafe tattooing; or medical and dental procedures overseas in countries with less rigorous infection control. In Australia, hepatitis C has primarily been associated with injecting drug use. Significant progress has been made in working with people who inject drugs through community-led outreach, peer programs, and harm reduction services like needle and syringe exchanges. With almost 30 per cent of the prison population injecting while they are incarcerated, prisons are the primary sites of transmission for hepatitis C. Our analysis shows that in NSW, 40 per cent of all hepatitis C retreatments are delivered in prisons, and needle exchange programs are needed to prevent transmission and reinfection. Australia's response to viral hepatitis needs to adapt to the changing nature of the population. While people who inject drugs must always be a priority in our work to eliminate viral hepatitis, a new focus is needed on the many people who might not realise they live with hepatitis C or were told in the past that there was nothing they could do about it. Community hepatitis organisations create stigma-free pathways for people to seek testing and treatment for hepatitis C. When we look at the demographics of this "missing group" of about 59,000 people, they are on average aged 40 to 65, are predominantly male and might have injected drugs, even just once, in their youth or had a tattoo overseas. Hepatitis C is a ticking time bomb that slowly damages and inflames the liver, leading to serious liver disease and, potentially, cancer if left untreated. Most people have no symptoms of hepatitis C for many years until their liver is seriously affected. No one should die from a curable disease because of stigma, silence or a missed opportunity. Australia has what it takes to eliminate hepatitis C. We must act with urgency and compassion to make sure no one is left behind. Every so often, a medical breakthrough reshapes the health landscape and offers new hope. The cure for hepatitis C is one such medical breakthrough - as significant as the discovery of penicillin. It has saved millions around the world from developing severe liver disease and liver cancer by curing their hepatitis C. It is the first ever drug to cure a virus and completely cure a chronic disease, and has been declared an "essential medicine" by the World Health Organisation. It forms the backbone of treatments offered to people living with hepatitis C in Australia today - a painless cure of one tablet per day for up to 12 weeks. It's a simple molecule that blocks the virus from replicating and is very effective, has minimal side effects, and is vastly superior to previous treatments like interferon. Since it became available under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in 2016, 62.9 per cent of all people living in Australia with hepatitis C have received the cure. Yet despite this, about 70,000 Australians still live with hepatitis C. Why, in a country with universal health care and a commitment to disease elimination, are so many people still being left behind? New analysis done by Hepatitis Australia shows that 84 per cent of people now living with hepatitis C no longer inject drugs or contracted the virus in other ways: through blood transfusions before blood screening was introduced in 1990; unsafe tattooing; or medical and dental procedures overseas in countries with less rigorous infection control. In Australia, hepatitis C has primarily been associated with injecting drug use. Significant progress has been made in working with people who inject drugs through community-led outreach, peer programs, and harm reduction services like needle and syringe exchanges. With almost 30 per cent of the prison population injecting while they are incarcerated, prisons are the primary sites of transmission for hepatitis C. Our analysis shows that in NSW, 40 per cent of all hepatitis C retreatments are delivered in prisons, and needle exchange programs are needed to prevent transmission and reinfection. Australia's response to viral hepatitis needs to adapt to the changing nature of the population. While people who inject drugs must always be a priority in our work to eliminate viral hepatitis, a new focus is needed on the many people who might not realise they live with hepatitis C or were told in the past that there was nothing they could do about it. Community hepatitis organisations create stigma-free pathways for people to seek testing and treatment for hepatitis C. When we look at the demographics of this "missing group" of about 59,000 people, they are on average aged 40 to 65, are predominantly male and might have injected drugs, even just once, in their youth or had a tattoo overseas. Hepatitis C is a ticking time bomb that slowly damages and inflames the liver, leading to serious liver disease and, potentially, cancer if left untreated. Most people have no symptoms of hepatitis C for many years until their liver is seriously affected. No one should die from a curable disease because of stigma, silence or a missed opportunity. Australia has what it takes to eliminate hepatitis C. We must act with urgency and compassion to make sure no one is left behind. Every so often, a medical breakthrough reshapes the health landscape and offers new hope. The cure for hepatitis C is one such medical breakthrough - as significant as the discovery of penicillin. It has saved millions around the world from developing severe liver disease and liver cancer by curing their hepatitis C. It is the first ever drug to cure a virus and completely cure a chronic disease, and has been declared an "essential medicine" by the World Health Organisation. It forms the backbone of treatments offered to people living with hepatitis C in Australia today - a painless cure of one tablet per day for up to 12 weeks. It's a simple molecule that blocks the virus from replicating and is very effective, has minimal side effects, and is vastly superior to previous treatments like interferon. Since it became available under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in 2016, 62.9 per cent of all people living in Australia with hepatitis C have received the cure. Yet despite this, about 70,000 Australians still live with hepatitis C. Why, in a country with universal health care and a commitment to disease elimination, are so many people still being left behind? New analysis done by Hepatitis Australia shows that 84 per cent of people now living with hepatitis C no longer inject drugs or contracted the virus in other ways: through blood transfusions before blood screening was introduced in 1990; unsafe tattooing; or medical and dental procedures overseas in countries with less rigorous infection control. In Australia, hepatitis C has primarily been associated with injecting drug use. Significant progress has been made in working with people who inject drugs through community-led outreach, peer programs, and harm reduction services like needle and syringe exchanges. With almost 30 per cent of the prison population injecting while they are incarcerated, prisons are the primary sites of transmission for hepatitis C. Our analysis shows that in NSW, 40 per cent of all hepatitis C retreatments are delivered in prisons, and needle exchange programs are needed to prevent transmission and reinfection. Australia's response to viral hepatitis needs to adapt to the changing nature of the population. While people who inject drugs must always be a priority in our work to eliminate viral hepatitis, a new focus is needed on the many people who might not realise they live with hepatitis C or were told in the past that there was nothing they could do about it. Community hepatitis organisations create stigma-free pathways for people to seek testing and treatment for hepatitis C. When we look at the demographics of this "missing group" of about 59,000 people, they are on average aged 40 to 65, are predominantly male and might have injected drugs, even just once, in their youth or had a tattoo overseas. Hepatitis C is a ticking time bomb that slowly damages and inflames the liver, leading to serious liver disease and, potentially, cancer if left untreated. Most people have no symptoms of hepatitis C for many years until their liver is seriously affected. No one should die from a curable disease because of stigma, silence or a missed opportunity. Australia has what it takes to eliminate hepatitis C. We must act with urgency and compassion to make sure no one is left behind. Every so often, a medical breakthrough reshapes the health landscape and offers new hope. The cure for hepatitis C is one such medical breakthrough - as significant as the discovery of penicillin. It has saved millions around the world from developing severe liver disease and liver cancer by curing their hepatitis C. It is the first ever drug to cure a virus and completely cure a chronic disease, and has been declared an "essential medicine" by the World Health Organisation. It forms the backbone of treatments offered to people living with hepatitis C in Australia today - a painless cure of one tablet per day for up to 12 weeks. It's a simple molecule that blocks the virus from replicating and is very effective, has minimal side effects, and is vastly superior to previous treatments like interferon. Since it became available under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in 2016, 62.9 per cent of all people living in Australia with hepatitis C have received the cure. Yet despite this, about 70,000 Australians still live with hepatitis C. Why, in a country with universal health care and a commitment to disease elimination, are so many people still being left behind? New analysis done by Hepatitis Australia shows that 84 per cent of people now living with hepatitis C no longer inject drugs or contracted the virus in other ways: through blood transfusions before blood screening was introduced in 1990; unsafe tattooing; or medical and dental procedures overseas in countries with less rigorous infection control. In Australia, hepatitis C has primarily been associated with injecting drug use. Significant progress has been made in working with people who inject drugs through community-led outreach, peer programs, and harm reduction services like needle and syringe exchanges. With almost 30 per cent of the prison population injecting while they are incarcerated, prisons are the primary sites of transmission for hepatitis C. Our analysis shows that in NSW, 40 per cent of all hepatitis C retreatments are delivered in prisons, and needle exchange programs are needed to prevent transmission and reinfection. Australia's response to viral hepatitis needs to adapt to the changing nature of the population. While people who inject drugs must always be a priority in our work to eliminate viral hepatitis, a new focus is needed on the many people who might not realise they live with hepatitis C or were told in the past that there was nothing they could do about it. Community hepatitis organisations create stigma-free pathways for people to seek testing and treatment for hepatitis C. When we look at the demographics of this "missing group" of about 59,000 people, they are on average aged 40 to 65, are predominantly male and might have injected drugs, even just once, in their youth or had a tattoo overseas. Hepatitis C is a ticking time bomb that slowly damages and inflames the liver, leading to serious liver disease and, potentially, cancer if left untreated. Most people have no symptoms of hepatitis C for many years until their liver is seriously affected. No one should die from a curable disease because of stigma, silence or a missed opportunity. Australia has what it takes to eliminate hepatitis C. We must act with urgency and compassion to make sure no one is left behind.
Perth Now
a day ago
- Health
- Perth Now
A smile, though endometriosis is no laughing matter
Cara Walker was all smiles when she met Anthony Albanese, but as a woman living with endometriosis, she knows the strain that comes with managing a chronic condition. Labor is preparing to introduce legislation to parliament this week which will cap the cost of prescriptions on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme to $25 from $31.60 from 2026. Ahead of the bill being presented to the lower house, the prime minister and Health Minister Mark Butler on Tuesday hosted a group of women impacted by endometriosis to discuss the changes. Endometriosis is a disease which tissue grows outside of the uterus, often causing severe pain. Labor amended and made new listings for contraception, endometriosis and IVF on the PBS ahead of the federal election campaign this year. Ms Walker told Mr Albanese chopping and changing between medications to manage chronic conditions quickly added up and was a hit to the hip pocket. "For people who don't have chronic conditions, all of a sudden they could get a cancer diagnosis, something could happen, and that puts a lot of strain on families, so that helps ease that strain, and every little bit counts," she said. Labor made health a centrepiece of its election campaign, pledging $8.5 billion to strengthen Medicare in a bid to make nine out of 10 visits to the GP free by 2030. Pressed during Question Time about bulk billing rates, Mr Albanese pulled out a Medicare card, as he had often done on the campaign trail. "The timeline hasn't changed, the investment is unchanged, the modelling is the same," the prime minister said. Mr Butler also clarified the figures around expected uptake of an expanded bulk billing incentive following criticism rates would take years to improve. But the health minister defended the government's modelling which expects fully bulk-billed practices to rise from about a quarter to three. Mr Butler said about 23 per cent of practices were expected to continue mixed billing, meaning pensioners and kids would be bulk-billed while others might be charged a gap fee. Opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston said people going to the doctor were paying out of pocket costs higher than what they had ever been. "Right the way through the election campaign, the prime minister waving around his Medicare card and telling Australians and I quote, 'All you'll need is your Medicare card, not your credit card,' was actually misleading the Australian public about the reality that is currently our health care system at the moment," she told ABC's RN.
West Australian
a day ago
- Health
- West Australian
A smile, though endometriosis is no laughing matter
Cara Walker was all smiles when she met Anthony Albanese, but as a woman living with endometriosis, she knows the strain that comes with managing a chronic condition. Labor is preparing to introduce legislation to parliament this week which will cap the cost of prescriptions on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme to $25 from $31.60 from 2026. Ahead of the bill being presented to the lower house, the prime minister and Health Minister Mark Butler on Tuesday hosted a group of women impacted by endometriosis to discuss the changes. Endometriosis is a disease which tissue grows outside of the uterus, often causing severe pain. Labor amended and made new listings for contraception, endometriosis and IVF on the PBS ahead of the federal election campaign this year. Ms Walker told Mr Albanese chopping and changing between medications to manage chronic conditions quickly added up and was a hit to the hip pocket. "For people who don't have chronic conditions, all of a sudden they could get a cancer diagnosis, something could happen, and that puts a lot of strain on families, so that helps ease that strain, and every little bit counts," she said. Labor made health a centrepiece of its election campaign, pledging $8.5 billion to strengthen Medicare in a bid to make nine out of 10 visits to the GP free by 2030. Pressed during Question Time about bulk billing rates, Mr Albanese pulled out a Medicare card, as he had often done on the campaign trail. "The timeline hasn't changed, the investment is unchanged, the modelling is the same," the prime minister said. Mr Butler also clarified the figures around expected uptake of an expanded bulk billing incentive following criticism rates would take years to improve. But the health minister defended the government's modelling which expects fully bulk-billed practices to rise from about a quarter to three. Mr Butler said about 23 per cent of practices were expected to continue mixed billing, meaning pensioners and kids would be bulk-billed while others might be charged a gap fee. Opposition health spokeswoman Anne Ruston said people going to the doctor were paying out of pocket costs higher than what they had ever been. "Right the way through the election campaign, the prime minister waving around his Medicare card and telling Australians and I quote, 'All you'll need is your Medicare card, not your credit card,' was actually misleading the Australian public about the reality that is currently our health care system at the moment," she told ABC's RN.
Sky News AU
a day ago
- Health
- Sky News AU
The Project star Meshel Laurie reveals whopping 60kg weight loss as she pleads for government to add Ozempic to PBS
Meshel Laurie has got candid about her whopping 60kg weight loss as she called for a controversial obesity medication to be added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). The Project panellist, 51, has been open about her extreme physical transformation after undergoing gastric bypass surgery in 2016, which resulted in the TV host looking completely unrecognisable. Meshel appeared on the Kyle and Jackie O show on Tuesday, where she admitted to having recently taken weight loss medication Mounjaro and credited the drug with helping her lower the scale. She called on the Albanese government to add the GLP-1 injectable drug, similar to Ozempic, to the PBS to subsidise the cost and make it more affordable for Australians, describing the effects as "amazing" and "life-changing". "I have to make a plea to the government to add this medication to the PBS, please, because it costs over $600 a month," she said. "For a lot of people, it's prohibitive." "If obesity costs Australia about $12 billion a year, then surely, we can afford to make this medication more affordable." Mounjaro was initially used for treating type 2 diabetes until it gained popularity for its weight loss effects in recent years. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in 2024 expanded the drug's usage to encompass obese or overweight Australians with weight-related health issues like high blood pressure, heart disease or sleep apnoea. Speaking about the reported side effects, including stomach pains, Mishel said she hasn't experienced any. She said even if she had, it would be "worth it" to continue achieving a physical transformation while bypassing any "exercise" in the process. "As I said, I did everything else before. So, I lost a bit of weight, I lost about 30kg. "And then about a year ago, I started using Mounjaro. "And that has not only knocked off the next 30-40kgs, but it has absolutely dealt with the problem. Like, I don't think about food anymore." Elsewhere in the wide-ranging interview, Meshel opened up about the personal heartbreak that spurred her to lose weight in the first place. 'My dad died of Type 2 Diabetes (in) 2019,' she said. 'But for the five years before that he lived with the kids and I. 'I was watching (him suffer) in real time, out the kitchen window, because he was in a granny flat. I didn't put him in the driveway; he had a flat.' The media personality was a regular on Ten's The Project from 2014 to 2018, after which she was sacked while on leave for her father's health. Meshel said she was ready to go back to work after 12 weeks, only to be told all the "spots were filled for the next couple of months" 'In fact, I was never notified that I was being let go," she said on Instagram. Meshel subsequently carved out a career as an author and published her bestselling novel, Buddhism for the Unbelievably Busy, in 2017, followed by CSI Told You Lies: Giving Victims a Voice Through Forensics in 2021. In Buddhism for the Unbelievably Busy, Meshel declared she was "embarrassed" about having had surgery to lose weight. "Yes, it's embarrassing to have to go to that length to rein my body in, but I'd rather be embarrassed than unable to walk," she wrote. "In a way, I feel lucky to have had such clear signals from my body that I needed to turn my health burner back on, when I still had time to do something about it."
