Budget 2025–⁠26

The 2025–26 Federal Budget was handed down last night, including key initiatives and measures impacting the Health and Aged Care Portfolio.

The following list provides you with a snapshot of health-related budget measures, and the full Health and Aged Care Budget Stakeholder Pack outlines most of these in much greater detail.

Strengthening Medicare and primary health initiatives funded in the budget include: 

  • $7.9 billion to provide incentives to further boost the rate of bulk billing

  • $256.2 million to introduce new and amend existing items on the MBS

  • $228.7 million continue modernising My Health Record and support the digital health reform agenda

  • $ 657.9 million to expand the Medicare Urgent Care Clinics Program

  • $662.6 million to continue to strengthen and support Australia’s health workforce including $265.2 million supporting more junior doctors training to be GPs, $248.7 million salary incentives for junior doctors to specialise in general practice, and $10.5 million in scholarships for nurses and midwives to extend their skills

  • $240.4 million to support women’s health including perimenopause, menopause, endometriosis and pelvic pain

  • $46.0 million for additional digital mental health services

  • $3.2 billion total investment in cheaper medicines including $689.1 million to reduce the maximum PBS general patient co‑payment from $31.60 to $25, and $1.8 billion new and amended PBS listings

  • $291.6 million to continue the delivery of aged care reforms and the implementation of recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety

  • $88.3 million to increase the minimum award wages of registered and enrolled nurses employed in the aged care sector.

Other relevant budget measures: 

  • $33.9 billion in 2025–26 to extend the 2020–2025 Addendum to the National Health Reform Agreement (NHRA) to 30 June 2026

  • $158.6 million over five years from 2024–25 to support research and translate medical research to clinical practice

  • $132.0 million in 2025–26 to improve health outcomes through preventive health and other health initiatives

Margot Schoonmaker