What happens under PBS Safety Net after high co-payments?

• A. After high total co-payments within a calendar year, PBS Safety Net provides further subsidy.
• B. PBS Safety Net applies to all medicines automatically.
• C. PBS Safety Net doubles the government subsidy for all prescriptions.
• D. PBS Safety Net is not related to PBS-listed medicines.

Answer: (A)

The Safety Net is about protecting you from high out-of-pocket costs for PBS-listed medicines in a calendar year. Once your total co-payments reach the annual threshold, the Safety Net kicks in and the government increases its subsidy for PBS medicines for the rest of that year. This means your remaining costs for PBS-listed medicines drop significantly (often to the concessional price or even free for the rest of the year), until the next year’s threshold resets. It specifically applies to PBS-listed medicines, not all medicines.