Under which initiative can many ATSI people qualify for reduced PBS co-payment amounts?

• A. Medicare Levy
• B. Closing the Gap
• C. National Disability Insurance Scheme
• D. Health Care Card Scheme

Answer: (B)

Access to affordable medicines is a major way to reduce health disparities. Closing the Gap is the initiative specifically aimed at reducing inequities in Indigenous health, and it includes measures to improve access to essential medicines, which can lower PBS co-payment amounts for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The other options don’t target Indigenous health cost barriers in the same way: the Medicare Levy is a general tax funding scheme, the National Disability Insurance Scheme focuses on supports for people with disabilities, and while the Health Care Card Scheme offers concessions on PBS co-pays, it isn’t Indigenous-specific.