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The Morrison Government is investing $353.9 million over the next four years as part of the 2021-22 Budget to support women’s health, including funding for cervical and breast cancer, endometriosis and reproductive health.
This significant investment builds on our Government’s commitment to implementing the five priority areas of the National Women’s Health Strategy 2020–2030 and improving long term health outcomes for women and girls.
Key investment measures include:

• $100.4 million for improvements to cervical and breast cancer screening programs which will help detect these life-threatening cancers earlier, improving survival rates.
• $95.9 million for new tests on the MBS for pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT) of embryos for specific genetic or chromosomal abnormalities prior to implantation and pregnancy.
• $47.4 million to support the mental health and wellbeing of new and expectant parents, including through funding for the Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia (PANDA) helpline, and by working to deliver universal perinatal mental health screening and improved data collection across public antenatal and postnatal care settings;
• $26.9 million to provide support for people with eating disorders and their families, noting that women account for almost two thirds of eating disorder diagnoses.
• $22 million for additional gynaecology items on the MBS, including items for Assisted Reproductive Technology and long-term reversible contraceptives.
• $21.6 million for women’s health initiatives, including Jean Hailes for Women’s Health and the Pelvic Pain Foundation of Australia for the Periods, Pain and Endometriosis Program (PPEP-Talk).
• $19.3 million for the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme listing of Oripro®️ (progesterone) to prevent women going into premature labour.
• $13.7 million for the Australian Preterm Birth Prevention Alliance to reduce pre-term birth rates.
• $6.6 million for Breast Cancer Network Australia to operate its helpline, rural and regional information forums and extending its consumer representative training program.

Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, said the Government was committed to improving health services around Australia for all women and girls, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
“As part of today’s significant investment, $13.7 million will help to reduce the rate of preterm births in Australia, which affect 8% of births in Australia and up to 16% among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women,” Minister Hunt said.
“We are also listing Oripro^® (progesterone) on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) from June 1, which is used to prevent women going into premature labour, saving around 14,250 women up to $300 per course of treatment.
“Currently only couples of individuals, who are carriers of serious genetic disorders can only access PGT if they are able to pay privately. We’re investing $95.9 million for five new MBS items, ensuring all Australians can access this testing.”
Minister for Women, Senator Marise Payne, said the Morrison Government’s investment in women’s health as part of the 2021-22 Budget would benefit Australian women of all ages.
“To increase breast and cervical cancer survival rates and improve early detection, we’re investing more than $100 million, including $67 million to ensure women aged 70-74 have access to free mammograms. This complements BreastScreen Australia’s free mammogram services for women 50–69 years,” Minister Payne said.
“We’re also providing additional funding to improve the health and wellbeing of Australians suffering from Endometriosis. Affecting one in 9 women, Endometriosis can lead to severe chronic pain, and in some cases, infertility.
“Given over half the Australian population is made up of women, it’s important that we have equal access to health services and support. Our investment of $353.9 million into women’s health will benefit all Australians today and into the future.”
The Morrison Government’s National Women’s Health Strategy 2020–2030 has five priority areas; maternal, sexual and reproductive health, healthy ageing, chronic conditions and preventive health, mental health, and the health impacts of violence against women and girls – core issues affecting the lives and livelihoods of women and girls.

The Morrison Government is investing more than $65 million from 1 January 2022 to boost bulk billing rebates and provide more affordable healthcare for patients in regional, rural and remote areas.
A new, progressive incentive schedule will be applied, that increases the value of the Rural Bulk Billing Incentive (RBBI) based on remoteness. This will enhance the financial viability of practices in rural and remote areas as well as reducing the gap paid by patients.
The more remote the area based on the Modified Monash model (MM), the greater the incentive payment they will receive per eligible consultation to recognise the greater challenges and cost pressures.
Federal Regional Health Minister, Mark Coulton said the Coalition Government is delivering the progressive rural bulk billing incentives in recognition of the ongoing need to provide the right incentives for the heath workforce in rural, regional and remote areas.
“Australians in rural and remote areas have poorer access to and use of health services, compared to people living in metropolitan areas,” Minister Coulton said.
“The new Rural Bulk Billing Incentive will support those GPs providing services to people in greatest need and who have the lowest propensity to pay for healthcare; our government understands GPs outside of our metropolitan areas face greater cost and workforce pressures.”
Minister Coulton said the Federal Government understands GPs face greater health complexities and challenges in rural and remote areas, which is why more than 12,000 rural and remote GPs will be eligible for the higher bulk billing incentive.
“Doctors in the bush face a greater burden of responsibility, more complex care situations, and high rates of chronic disease compared with doctors in the cities, who can rely on support from other medical services and facilities,” he said.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, said Government was delivering higher bulk billing incentives for rural and remote medical practices, which would reduce out of pocket costs to patients.
“Bulk billing is an important component of the Medicare system, and outside metropolitan areas many doctors rely on the additional incentive for each consultation to help make ends meet for their clinics,” Minister Hunt said.
“While the average bulk billing rates is more than 80% across many regional, rural and remote areas, there are still more GPs in these areas who could offer bulk billing for their patients.”
Minister Coulton said the new rural bulk billing model not only recognises the work of current rural and remote doctors but will also encourage more doctors to consider a career in rural practice.
“We want to make rural Australia a career destination of choice for aspiring rural doctors,” Minister Coulton said.
“The new rural incentive rates are another key reform we have delivered to attract more doctors to the bush and further builds on the Coalition Government’s ten-year Stronger Rural Health Strategy.
“There isn’t a single solution to solving rural doctor shortages, that’s why the Coalition Government continues to work on a range of practical workforce, training and primary care reforms with the aim to create more sustainable community health services in rural and remote communities.”
The RBBI encourages doctors to offer medical services without out of pocket costs to vulnerable populations, including children under 16, senior Australians and concession cardholders.
Bulk-billing doctors outside metropolitan areas currently receive 150 per cent of the base BBI across the board (MM2-7). The new payment rates, based on the base BBI for metropolitan areas, will be:

• large and medium rural locations (MM 3-4) – 160 per cent of the base rate
• small rural locations (MM 5) –170 per cent of the base rate
• rural locations (MM 6) – 180 per cent of the base rate, and
• very remote locations (MM 7) – 190 per cent of the base rate.

This means, from 1 January 2022, doctors practicing in rural and remote areas will be able to receive an incentive payment of up to $12.35 per consultation.
There is no change to the RBBI rate for doctors in MM 2 locations (150 per cent).
The RBBI is an ongoing, demand-driven, program and the introduction of the progressive incentive schedule will begin on 1 January 2022 at an estimated cost of $65.8 million over the Forward Estimates.

The Morrison Government is today announcing additional measures to help more Australians own their home sooner as part of the 2021-22 Budget.
This follows the successful HomeBuilder program which is expected to support more than $30 billion in residential construction with more than 120,000 Australians applying for the grant.
As part of the 2021-22 Budget, the Government will:

• Establish the Family Home Guarantee with 10,000 guarantees made available over four years to single parents with dependants. The Family Home Guarantee allows them to purchase a home sooner with a deposit of as little as two per cent;
• Expand the New Home Guarantee for a second year, providing an additional 10,000 places in 2021-22. First home buyers seeking to build a new home or purchase a newly built home will be able to do so with a deposit of as little as five per cent; and
• Increase the maximum amount of voluntary contributions that can be released under the First Home Super Saver Scheme from $30,000 to $50,000.

The Morrison Government is also providing an additional $124.7 million in funding which will allow the states and territories to bolster public housing stocks, or to meet their social and community housing responsibilities under the 2011 Fair Work decision on Social and Community Services wages.
The Government understands the importance of owning your own home and the significant economic and social benefits home ownership provides.
Supporting more Australians to own their own home is part of the Government’s economic plan to secure Australia’s recovery.