EFFECTIVE 01 Jan 2017 the PBS co-payment will rise to $38.80 in line with the increase in the Consumer Price Index.
Concessional patients will pay $6.30 from the same date, with the increases reflecting a 1.3% CPI indexation rate.
Also on 01 Jan, some pensioners will lose their Pensioner Concession Cards due to changes to the asset test, and will instead become eligible for a Low Income Health Care Card and a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card if old enough.
The new cards cannot be sent before 01 Jan 2017, but Centrelink has advised that patients can provide their Centrelink Customer Reference Number to ensure they receive script concession entitlements before the cards arrive.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 15 Dec 16
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