About the PBS
Safety Net
This section of the website contains information on Safety Net arrangements in community pharmacies and public hospitals.
On 1 January 2013, the Safety Net thresholds changed from $348.00 to $354.00 (for concession card holders) and from $1,363.30 to $1,390.60 (for all other patients). These increases reflect the annual CPI indexation. The 2013 general patient thresholds include eight additional co-payments compared with the 2005 thresholds.
The same general or concessional Safety Net threshold is applied to a family unit regardless of whether the unit consists of an individual, a couple or a family with dependent children. To be included in the same Safety Net family, the partners of a couple may be married or de-facto, and of the same or opposite sex. A couple must be living together on a permanent basis, unless living separately due to illness.
After reaching the Safety Net threshold, general patients pay for further PBS prescriptions at the concessional co-payment rate and concession card holders are dispensed PBS prescriptions at no further charge for the remainder of that calendar year. In order to access the Safety Net arrangements, you need to maintain records of your PBS expenditure on a Prescription Record Form. These are available from all pharmacies.
A Safety Net Entitlement Card or Safety Net Concession Card can be issued by the pharmacist once the threshold is reached.
For further information about drugs listed on the PBS and Safety Net arrangements, ask your pharmacist, contact the PBS Information Line on 1800 020 613 (free call) or collect a brochure at your nearest Medicare office.
Public Hospitals and the Safety Net
The Safety Net threshold may be reached using scripts filled at both community pharmacies and out-patient pharmacies at public hospitals – this is called the joint Safety Net.
From 1 January 2013, the contribution rate for general patients as outpatients at public hospitals in most states and territories in Australia is $28.90. In Queensland and in hospitals in States participating in the pharmaceutical reforms, patients pay the Safety Net value of an item when it is listed in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Schedule, and a maximum of $36.10 for items not listed in the schedule.
In public hospitals from 1 January 2013, concessional patients pay a maximum of $5.90 – except in South Australia where Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) card holders are treated as general patients, and in New South Wales, where DVA White Card holders are treated as general patients.
These amounts are adjusted on 1 January each year.
