Pregnancy
Public maternity care is free for Medicare holders, delivered through hospital antenatal clinics, midwifery group practices or shared care with a GP. Government Parental Leave Pay is being progressively extended and paid at the national minimum wage, separately from any employer scheme. Private obstetric care carries substantial out-of-pocket gaps that are not always made clear in advance.
Public maternity care is free for Medicare-eligible residents, and most women give birth in the public system with midwife-led or shared care. The government Parental Leave Pay scheme, paid at the national minimum wage, has been extended in stages toward twenty-six weeks, with a portion reserved for each parent to encourage sharing. Employer-paid leave sits on top where it exists.
Key points
| Public care | Free for Medicare holders; several models including midwifery group practice |
|---|---|
| Parental Leave Pay | Government payment at the national minimum wage, being extended to twenty-six weeks |
| Employer schemes | Additional and separate from the government payment |
| Private care | Significant out-of-pocket gaps even with private health insurance |
| Rural access | Many rural maternity units have closed, requiring travel to give birth |
| Place of birth | Hospital, birth centre or publicly funded home birth in some states |
| Medicare-ineligible | Face full costs; ask about public hospital arrangements early |
In practice
- Ask for a midwifery group practice place early: continuity of carer measurably improves outcomes.
- If you go private, ask for the total out-of-pocket estimate in writing before committing.
- Rural families should ask about the patient travel subsidy scheme in their state.
- Apply for Parental Leave Pay before the birth: claims can be lodged in advance.
Cost and coverage
Public care is free with Medicare; private care carries substantial gaps.
Recent changes
Parental Leave Pay is being extended in steps toward twenty-six weeks, superannuation contributions have been added to government-paid leave, and reserved weeks encourage both parents to take time.
Where to go
- Public hospital antenatal clinics and midwifery group practices.
- Services Australia for Parental Leave Pay.
- State patient travel assistance schemes for rural families.
Worth knowing
Private obstetric gaps of several thousand dollars are common and are not covered by health insurance. Ask for the figure in writing at the first appointment.
Frequently asked questions
Who pays for maternity leave in Australia?
The government scheme pays at the national minimum wage for a period being extended in stages toward twenty-six weeks, with weeks reserved for each parent. It is separate from any employer scheme, and you can usually receive both. Eligibility depends on a work test and an income test.
Public or private maternity care?
Public care is free for Medicare-eligible residents and outcomes are comparable. Private care buys continuity with a chosen obstetrician and a private room, at significant out-of-pocket cost even with insurance, and many private policies impose a twelve-month waiting period for pregnancy.
The general article: Pregnancy · Compare with another country
Periods and period products
Australia removed the 10 % GST from pads, tampons, cups and period underwear on 1 January 2019, after eighteen years of campaigning. Free provision is a state and territory matter: Victoria was first to supply products in all government schools in 2019–2020, and New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, Queensland, the Northern Territory and the ACT have since adopted their own schemes, so public schools nationwide now provide them, with universities and councils deciding for themselves. There is no national menstrual leave.
Endometriosis is the field where Australia stands out: the National Action Plan for Endometriosis of 2018 was the first of its kind, followed by a network of endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics opened from 2023 in general practices across the country and expanded since, and by Medicare items for longer gynaecology consultations. Diagnosis still takes years on average; Endometriosis Australia and QENDO support patients.
Absence for disabling periods is personal leave; some public-sector employers, including in Victoria, have introduced reproductive health leave for their staff, without a national rule.
Reusable products are GST-free like disposables; nothing is reimbursed by Medicare.
Key points
| GST | Removed 1 January 2019 |
|---|---|
| Schools | Free products in government schools in every state and territory, Victoria first in 2019 |
| Menstrual leave | None nationally; some public-sector employers |
| Endometriosis | National Action Plan 2018; endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics since 2023; Medicare items for longer consultations |
| Reusable products | GST-free, not reimbursed |
In practice
- Ask the school where the free products are: most schemes stock them in toilets or at the office.
- For pelvic pain, ask your GP whether an endometriosis and pelvic pain clinic operates nearby; they take referrals and self-referrals depending on the site.
- Community organisations such as Share the Dignity supply products to people in need.
What it costs
A cycle costs roughly 5 to 15 dollars in disposables, GST-free. Nothing is reimbursed; Medicare covers consultations and surgery, with gaps in private care.
What has changed recently
The clinic network launched in 2023 has been extended, and Medicare added longer consultation items for endometriosis and pelvic pain; state school schemes now cover the whole country.
Where to find help
- Department of Health: National Action Plan for Endometriosis and clinic list.
- State education departments: period product schemes.
- Endometriosis Australia; QENDO.
- Share the Dignity: products for people in need.
Worth knowing
Free provision applies to government schools; private schools and universities decide for themselves. And the GST removal was worth 10 % — prices vary by more than that between shops.
Frequently asked questions
Is there GST on tampons in Australia?
No, not since 1 January 2019.
Are period products free in schools?
In government schools, yes, in every state and territory under state schemes.
What is an endometriosis and pelvic pain clinic?
A general practice funded under the national plan to assess and manage pelvic pain and endometriosis, with longer appointments; several dozen operate across the country.
Sources
- Department of Health — National Action Plan for Endometriosis — plan and clinic list
- Endometriosis Australia — patient organisation
- Share the Dignity — period products for people in need
The general article: Periods and period products · Compare with another country
Sex therapy
“Sexologist” is unregulated; the Society of Australian Sexologists accredits psychosexual therapists, and Medicare rebates reach only registered psychologists under a mental health plan.
Australia registers fourteen health professions nationally through AHPRA — including medical practitioners and psychologists — but neither counselling nor psychotherapy, and “sexologist” or “sex therapist” is a term anyone may use. A sexologist who is not a registered practitioner is not bound by the national health-practitioner law, only by consumer law and by whatever professional body they belong to.
The reference body is the Society of Australian Sexologists, which accredits psychosexual therapists and sexuality educators on the basis of postgraduate study in sexology — offered by a handful of universities — supervised practice and continuing professional development. Psychologists, doctors, nurses and social workers make up most of its accredited members; counsellors accredited by PACFA or the Australian Counselling Association add a second layer of accountability.
Medicare pays doctors, so a GP, urologist, gynaecologist or endocrinologist can investigate erectile dysfunction, pain or hormonal causes with a rebate. It also pays part of psychological treatment under the Better Access scheme: with a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan, up to ten sessions a year with a registered psychologist or eligible social worker or occupational therapist carry a rebate — higher for clinical psychologists. The plan requires an assessed mental disorder, so a sexual difficulty on its own does not always qualify; anxiety or depression accompanying it usually does. Sexologists who are not registered psychologists get no rebate.
State-funded sexual health clinics and the family-planning organisations offer psychosexual counselling at low cost in some cities. Privately, sessions run from about 150 to 250 dollars, more for psychologists; private health extras cover psychology and sometimes counselling, according to the policy.
Key points
| Title | Unregulated; not an AHPRA profession |
|---|---|
| Regulated professions nearby | Medical practitioner, psychologist (AHPRA); counselling voluntary (PACFA, ACA) |
| Reference accreditation | Society of Australian Sexologists: accredited psychosexual therapist |
| Medicare, doctors | Rebates for GP and specialist consultations |
| Medicare, psychology | Better Access: up to 10 sessions a year with a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan, registered psychologist required |
| Sexologist not registered psychologist | No Medicare rebate; private health extras sometimes |
| Typical fee | About 150–250 dollars a session |
In practice
- Check AHPRA for the underlying registration and the Society of Australian Sexologists directory for accreditation.
- Ask your GP for a Mental Health Treatment Plan if anxiety, depression or trauma are part of the picture: the rebate applies to a registered psychologist.
- Family Planning and sexual health clinics in the state capitals offer lower-cost psychosexual counselling.
- Check the extras cover of your private health fund; psychology is usually included, counselling sometimes.
Cost and reimbursement
GP and specialists: Medicare rebate, gap possible. Registered psychologist under a plan: rebate on up to ten sessions a year, gap of 50 to 150 dollars common. Sexologist without registration: 150–250 dollars, out of pocket unless extras cover applies.
What has changed recently
Better Access sessions were cut back to ten a year in 2023 after the pandemic-era increase to twenty. No move to register counsellors or sexologists nationally is under way.
Where to go
- Society of Australian Sexologists: directory of accredited members.
- AHPRA: register of psychologists and medical practitioners.
- Family Planning organisations and state sexual health clinics.
- PACFA and Australian Counselling Association: accredited counsellors.
Worth knowing
Because anyone may call themselves a sexologist, the accreditation and the underlying registration are the only meaningful checks. A rebate is possible only through a registered psychologist under a plan, never through the title.
Frequently asked questions
Does Medicare cover sex therapy?
Not as such. It rebates doctors, and psychologists under a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan for an assessed mental disorder, up to ten sessions a year.
How do I find an accredited sexologist?
Through the Society of Australian Sexologists directory; check the person's AHPRA registration if they claim to be a psychologist or doctor.
Are sexologists regulated in Australia?
No. The profession is not registered under the national law; accreditation by the Society of Australian Sexologists is voluntary.
Sources
- Society of Australian Sexologists — accredited psychosexual therapists
- AHPRA — register of psychologists and medical practitioners
- Services Australia — Medicare mental health — Better Access rebates
The general article: Sex therapy · Compare with another country
Mental health
A mental health treatment plan from your GP unlocks subsidised sessions with a psychologist.
The standard route is a mental health treatment plan: your GP assesses you, writes the plan, and it entitles you to a set number of subsidised sessions with a registered psychologist each calendar year. The subsidy does not always cover the full fee, so a gap payment is common unless the practitioner bulk-bills. Free listening lines operate at any hour, and dedicated youth services take direct contact.
Key points
| Treatment plan | Written by a GP; unlocks subsidised psychology sessions each calendar year |
|---|---|
| Gap payment | Common: the subsidy often covers only part of the fee |
| Bulk billing | Some practitioners charge no gap; ask before booking |
| Crisis lines | Free national listening lines, by call and chat, at any hour |
| Youth services | Dedicated centres for young people, reachable without a referral |
| Involuntary treatment | Governed by state and territory legislation |
| Telehealth | Subsidised sessions can be delivered remotely |
In practice
- Book a long GP appointment: writing the plan takes time and a standard slot is not enough.
- Ask the psychologist about the gap before the first session - it varies widely.
- Youth centres take direct contact and do not need a referral or a plan.
- Telehealth sessions carry the same subsidy and remove travel from the equation.
Cost and coverage
Subsidised sessions leave a gap payment unless the practitioner bulk-bills; crisis lines are free.
Where to go
- GPs, for the mental health treatment plan.
- Free national crisis and listening lines, at any hour.
- Dedicated youth mental health centres.
Worth knowing
The plan has to be reviewed by your GP partway through to release the remaining sessions. Diarise that review: people routinely lose sessions by forgetting it.
The general article: Mental health · Compare with another country
Dental care
Medicare does not cover the dentist for adults, with one important exception for children.
Medicare does not fund general dental care for adults. The Child Dental Benefits Schedule provides a capped benefit over two calendar years for basic dental services for eligible children in families receiving certain payments. State and territory public dental services treat concession card holders, with waiting lists. Most adults rely on private health insurance extras cover or pay directly.
Extras cover typically reimburses a percentage up to an annual limit, and preventive care is often covered fully to encourage regular attendance.
Public dental waiting lists for non-urgent care run to months or years depending on the state; emergency care is far quicker.
Dental schools treat patients at reduced fees.
Dental travel to Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia is common for major work, with packages marketed directly to Australian patients.
Key points
| Medicare | No general dental cover for adults |
|---|---|
| Child Dental Benefits Schedule | Capped benefit over two years for eligible children |
| Public dental | Concession card holders, with waiting lists |
| Private | Extras cover with annual limits, or direct payment |
In practice
- Check whether your children are eligible for the Child Dental Benefits Schedule: the benefit is generous and widely unclaimed.
- Ask for an itemised quote with item numbers so your fund can tell you what it will pay.
- Public dental services take emergencies quickly even when the routine list is long.
Cost and coverage
Examination and clean $200–$350. Filling $150–$350. Crown $1,500–$2,500. Implant with crown $4,500–$6,500.
Recent changes
Reviews of dental funding continue to consider extending Medicare to dental care, without a decision to date.
Where to go
- State and territory public dental services.
- Child Dental Benefits Schedule, Services Australia.
- University dental clinics.
- Dental Board of Australia register.
Worth knowing
Overseas dental packages rarely include the cost of returning for the second stage of an implant or for a repair. Price the trip twice before comparing.
Frequently asked questions
Does Medicare cover the dentist?
Not for adults. Eligible children have a capped benefit under the Child Dental Benefits Schedule.
How long are public dental waiting lists?
Months to years for routine care depending on the state; emergencies are seen quickly.
The general article: Dental care · Compare with another country
HIV and AIDS
PrEP and treatment are subsidised nationally — but people without Medicare face a very different situation.
Australia has one of the strongest prevention records anywhere, with PrEP listed on the national medicines scheme since 2018 and treatment subsidised on the same basis. The limitation is eligibility: people without Medicare, including many on temporary visas, are not covered, and depend on compassionate access schemes or importing medication under the personal importation rules.
Key points
| PrEP | Listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme since 2018 |
|---|---|
| Treatment | Subsidised on the same scheme, dispensed through hospital and community pharmacies |
| Testing | Free at sexual health clinics; self-tests approved for sale |
| PEP | Available through emergency departments and 24-hour PEP hotlines in several states |
| Medicare-ineligible people | Not covered; compassionate access and personal importation are the alternatives |
| Criminal law | Differs by state; several have removed HIV-specific provisions |
| Peer organisations | Strong network of community organisations in every state |
In practice
- Use the state PEP hotline: several states run a dedicated 24-hour line that directs you to the nearest supply.
- If you are not eligible for Medicare, contact a community organisation before paying privately: alternatives exist.
- PrEP can be prescribed by any doctor, not only specialists.
- Sexual health clinics test free of charge and do not require Medicare in most states.
Cost and coverage
Subsidised for Medicare holders; people without Medicare should seek advice rather than paying private prices.
Where to go
- State sexual health clinics and PEP hotlines.
- ASHM for clinical information and community organisations for peer support.
- Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations member bodies.
Worth knowing
Not having Medicare is the single biggest barrier in Australia. Community organisations can arrange affordable access, and personal importation of a legitimate generic is lawful for personal use with a prescription.
Sources
- healthdirect — government health information and service finder
- ASHM — national clinical guidance on HIV and STIs
Hepatitis B
A birth dose plus infant schedule, with a large share of chronic infection among people born overseas.
Australia gives a birth dose followed by the combined infant schedule, and antenatal screening is universal. The great majority of people living with chronic hepatitis B in Australia were born overseas, in regions of higher endemicity, which makes targeted testing far more productive than general screening.
Australia added hepatitis B to the infant schedule in 2000, with a birth dose given in the first days of life to every newborn, not only those of positive mothers — a universal birth dose is the gold standard and relatively few countries do it. Antenatal screening is universal, and adult catch-up is funded for defined risk groups.
Key points
| Birth dose | Within 24 hours, followed by the combined infant schedule |
|---|---|
| Antenatal screening | Universal |
| Babies of carriers | Vaccine and immunoglobulin at birth |
| Testing | Medicare-covered; recommended for people born in higher prevalence countries |
| Treatment | Subsidised on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme |
| Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people | Higher prevalence, with dedicated programmes |
| Undiagnosed | A substantial share of carriers remain undiagnosed |
In practice
- If you or your parents were born in Asia, Africa, the Pacific or parts of Europe, ask for testing.
- Ask for all three markers in one request.
Cost and coverage
Testing is covered by Medicare; treatment is subsidised on the national scheme.
Where to go
- General practices and Aboriginal community controlled health services.
- Sexual health clinics and liver clinics.
- Hepatitis Australia and state organisations.
Worth knowing
Chronic hepatitis B causes no symptoms for decades and is often found only when the liver is already damaged. Targeted testing by country of birth is the single most effective step.
Frequently asked questions
Does every baby get a dose at birth in Australia?
Yes, a universal birth dose is given in the first days of life regardless of the mother's status, followed by further doses in the infant schedule. Babies of positive mothers also receive immunoglobulin. This universal approach is what makes the programme so effective.
Sources
- healthdirect — government health information and service finder
- ASHM — national clinical guidance on HIV and STIs
HPV
Single-dose vaccination, universal self-collection for screening, and a credible path to eliminating cervical cancer.
Australia is further along than almost anywhere: it vaccinated girls from 2007 and boys from 2013, moved to a single dose in 2023, and replaced the two-yearly Pap test with a five-yearly HPV test in 2017. Since 2022 anyone eligible for screening can choose to collect their own sample. The country is projected to be among the first to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem.
Australia was the first country to introduce a national HPV programme and has come closest to eliminating cervical cancer as a public health problem: free school vaccination for girls from 2007 and boys from 2013, and a screening programme that moved from two-yearly Pap smears to five-yearly HPV testing in 2017, with self-collection now available to everyone.
Key points
| School programme | Free; girls since 2007, boys since 2013 |
|---|---|
| Doses | A single dose since 2023 |
| Screening | HPV test every five years from 25 to 74 |
| Self-collection | Available to everyone eligible since 2022 |
| Register | A national register sends invitations and reminders |
| Elimination | Projected among the first countries to eliminate cervical cancer |
| Cost | Vaccination is free; screening is covered by Medicare |
In practice
- Ask for self-collection if the examination is what has kept you away: it is available to everyone eligible.
- Check the national register if you are unsure when your next screen is due.
- Catch-up vaccination is available through the school programme and general practice.
Cost and coverage
Vaccination is free through the national programme; screening is covered by Medicare.
Where to go
- School immunisation programmes and general practices.
- National Cervical Screening Program and its register.
- Aboriginal community controlled health services.
Worth knowing
Self-collection is as accurate as a clinician-taken sample for HPV testing. It exists precisely to remove the barrier that keeps many people away from screening entirely.
Frequently asked questions
Can you take your own screening sample in Australia?
Yes. Self-collection of a vaginal sample for HPV testing is available to everyone eligible for screening, taken in a private space at a clinic. It performs as well as a clinician-collected sample for HPV detection and was introduced specifically to reach people who avoid the speculum examination.
Sources
- healthdirect — government health information and service finder
- ASHM — national clinical guidance on HIV and STIs
General sources
- Federal Register of Legislation — Commonwealth law as made and in force
- Services Australia — government services and payments