Petition request

That the House of Representatives urge the Government to amend the Health Entitlements Cards Regulations 1993 to remove all prescription costs for Community Service Card holders.

Petition reason

Low-income households are currently experiencing significant hardship. Many are reliant on important medications. We consider that the $5 cost per item to a maximum of 20 items in any one year is a significant barrier to accessing these medications. Some large commercial organisations use their private resources to waive the $5 fee. This is not feasible for many community pharmacies. We believe this problem can be rectified by amending the Health Entitlement Cards Regulations 1993.

Petition progress

  • Open for signatures
  • Closed for signatures
  • Select Committee
  • Reported
  • Referred to Minister
Number of signatures: 3883
Date presented: 22 Nov 2022
Considered by: Petitions
SC Report(s): 26 Jul 2023 (Final)
Presenting member: Ricardo Menéndez March
Closing date: 09 Nov 2022