How Much Does Treatment Cost?
How Much Does Treatment Cost?
In Queensland, HIV antiretroviral medication directly related to their HIV is free to all residents of Queensland, regardless of their medicare status.
Treatment for HIV is highly subsidised by the Australian Government through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) – which is a scheme of the Australian Government which is said to create affordable medicines for all Australians, for their health-care needs.
The PBS covers all health conditions (not just HIV) for medicines which are approved in Australia and listed on the PBS. All highly specialised HIV antiretroviral drugs are listed on the PBS, along with other general medicines for other health conditions as well.
The Queensland Government, from 3rd October 2023, will additionally waive the co-payment typically associated with PBS medicines, making HIV treatment free for the first time for all residents of Queensland, no matter where you were born.
HIV treatment usually comprises of two or three drug combination. These can be prescribed by your doctor as either separate pills, or all drugs combined into one single pill, or sometimes 2 drugs in one single pill plus another pill – depending upon your particular prescribing needs as recommended by your doctor.
If you are eligible for Medicare
A co-payment waiver has been introduced from 3 October 2023 for HIV antiretroviral therapy dispensed in Queensland pharmacies for all people with HIV who are residents of Queensland.
A privacy collection notice will be agreed between the parties to be provided and completed by the patient at the point of dispense.
To access the co-payment waiver at a community pharmacy, a privacy collection notice will be agreed between the parties to be provided and completed by the patient at the point of dispense.
If you are not eligible for Medicare
Free HIV-related medical care, pathology testing and treatment is now available to Medicare-ineligible people currently residing in Queensland beyond a short-term stay through public health facilities, such as sexual health clinics or public hospital outpatient clinics.
This program cannot be accessed through general practitioners. To see if you qualify for this program, please contact QPP or your local sexual health clinic. If you don’t have Medicare, learn more about how we can help here.
Struggling with other costs related to your HIV care?
If you are experiencing financial hardship, and struggling to pay for costs related to your HIV care, talk to your doctor or pharmacist, or the team at QPP, as we can assist with our Emergency Treatment Fund.
What if my local pharmacy is still asking me to pay for my medications?
We have heard from some of our community that they aren’t receiving this co-payment waiver.
If you are still being asked to pay any co-payment when collecting your prescription, no matter how small, we want to hear from you. All people living with HIV in Queensland deserve to benefit from this initiative. Contact us at here with relevant details.
Please note: This co-payment waiver only applies to HIV antiretroviral therapies, not for other prescription medications you may take.
Accessing Treatment Without Medicare
It is possible for anyone in Australia to access HIV treatment without medicare, in many cases for free.
Where Can I Get Treatment?
People living with HIV can get their HIV medication from their local pharmacy, an online pharmacy or a hospital-based pharmacy, whatever suits them better.
When Should I Start Treatment?
It is important to discuss all the benefits and risks to starting treatment, and your personal readiness to start treatment with your doctor. Today, most people are recommended to start treatment once a diagnosis is confirmed.
Our trained team is here to help you should you have any questions or need support. You can call for free from a Queensland land-line on 1800 636 241 or call (07) 3013 5555 (national). You can also email us or use the contact form or the chat function in the corner of our website.
