Editing Medicare (Australia) (section)

=== Medicare Safety Net ===
The first Medicare Safety Net, setting a maximum amount per year someone could pay for MBS-listed out-of-hospital services, was added in 1991. (It is now known as the Original Medicare Safety Net). The Extended Medicare Safety Net was added in 2004, providing similar assistance for heavy users of scheduled medical services.

To provide additional relief to those who incur higher than usual medical costs, Medicare safety nets have been set up. These provide singles and families with an additional rebate when an annual threshold is reached for out-of-hospital Medicare services.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www9.health.gov.au/mbs/fullDisplay.cfm?type=note&q=G10.2&qt=noteID&criteria=medicare+safety+nets|title=Note G10.2 &#124; Medicare Benefits Schedule|website=www9.health.gov.au|access-date=16 October 2020|archive-date=10 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220410001641/http://www9.health.gov.au/mbs/fullDisplay.cfm?type=note&q=G10.2&qt=noteID&criteria=medicare+safety+nets|url-status=live}}</ref> A basic safety net exists for all Australians, with an extended safety net for some families.

The thresholds for both safety nets are indexed on 1 January each year to the [[Consumer Price Index]].

====General safety net====
Under the original Medicare safety net, once an annual threshold in gap costs has been reached, the Medicare rebate for out-of-hospital services is increased to 100% of the schedule fee (up from 85%).  Gap costs refer to the difference between the standard Medicare rebate (85% of the schedule fee) and the actual fee paid, but limited to 100% of the schedule fee. The threshold applies for all Medicare cardholders and is $576.00 for 2025.<ref name="2025 safety net">{{Cite web |title=MBS Online - January 2025 News |url=https://www.mbsonline.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/news-250101 |publisher=[[Department of Health and Aged Care]] }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year !! Threshold value
|-
| 1 January 2006 || style="text-align: center;" | $345.50<ref name="health.gov.au">[http://www.health.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/News-20070101-Medicare_Safety_Net Medicare Safety Net Thresholds – Effective 1 January 2007] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100308085829/http://www.health.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/News-20070101-Medicare_Safety_Net |date=8 March 2010 }}. Department of Health. Retrieved 4 June 2014.</ref>
|-
| 1 January 2007 || style="text-align: center;" | $358.90<ref name="health.gov.au"/>
|-
| 1 January 2008 || style="text-align: center;" | $365.70<ref>[http://www.health.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/News-20080101-Safety_Net 1 January 2008 Medicare Safety Net Thresholds] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100308085833/http://www.health.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/News-20080101-Safety_Net |date=8 March 2010 }}. Department of Health. Retrieved 4 June 2014.</ref>
|-
| 1 January 2009 || style="text-align: center;" | $383.90<ref>[http://www.health.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/News-2009-Jan-01-Safety-Net 1 January 2009 Medicare Safety Net Thresholds and Information] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100308085827/http://www.health.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/News-2009-Jan-01-Safety-Net |date=8 March 2010 }}. Department of Health. Retrieved 4 June 2014.</ref>
|-
| 1 January 2010 || style="text-align: center;" | $388.80<ref name="2010 safety net A">[http://www.health.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/News-20091111-Safety-Net 1 January 2010 Medicare Safety Net Thresholds] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100413100023/http://www.health.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/News-20091111-Safety-Net |date=13 April 2010 }}. Department of Health. Retrieved 4 June 2014.</ref>
|-
| 1 January 2011 || style="text-align: center;" | $399.60<ref name="2011 safety net A">[http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/public/services/msn/index.jsp#N10059 Medicare Safety Net] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110218120808/http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/public/services/msn/index.jsp#N10059 |date=18 February 2011 }}. Department of Human Services. Retrieved 4 June 2014.</ref>
|-
| 1 January 2012 || style="text-align: center;" | $413.50<ref name="2012 safety net A">(18 December 2013). [http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/enablers/medicare/medicare-safety-net/medicare-safety-net-thresholds 2014 Medicare Safety Net thresholds] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140616135557/http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/enablers/medicare/medicare-safety-net/medicare-safety-net-thresholds |date=16 June 2014 }}. Department of Human Services. Retrieved 4 June 2014.</ref>
|-
| 1 January 2013 || style="text-align: center;" | $421.70<ref name="2013 safety net">{{cite web|url=http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/enablers/medicare/medicare-safety-net/medicare-safety-net-thresholds |title=2013 Medicare Safety Net thresholds |date=17 January 2013 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117053433/http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/enablers/medicare/medicare-safety-net/medicare-safety-net-thresholds |archive-date=17 January 2013 }}</ref>
|-
| 1 January 2014 || style="text-align: center;" | $430.90<ref name="2014 safety net">{{cite web|url=http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/enablers/medicare/medicare-safety-net/medicare-safety-net-thresholds |title=2014 Medicare Safety Net thresholds |date=30 January 2014 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140130134008/http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/enablers/medicare/medicare-safety-net/medicare-safety-net-thresholds |archive-date=30 January 2014 }}</ref>
|-
| 1 January 2015 || style="text-align: center;" | $440.80<ref name="2015 safety net A">{{cite web|url=http://www.health.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/news-2014-10-07-latest-news-EMSNJan2015|title=Medicare Safety Net Thresholds from 1 January 2015|first=Australian Government Department of|last=Health|access-date=8 March 2015|archive-date=2 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402125837/http://www.health.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/news-2014-10-07-latest-news-EMSNJan2015|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| 1 January 2016 || style="text-align: center;" | $447.40<ref name="2016 safety net">{{cite web|url=https://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/enablers/2016-medicare-safety-net-thresholds|title=Medicare Safety Net – Australian Government Department of Human Services|access-date=6 March 2016|archive-date=10 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310174329/https://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/enablers/2016-medicare-safety-net-thresholds}}</ref>
|-
| 1 January 2017 || style="text-align: center;" | $453.20<ref name="2017 safety net">{{cite web|url=https://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/medicare/medicare-safety-net|title=Medicare Safety Net Thresholds from 1 January 2017|first=Australian Government Department of|last=Health|access-date=8 July 2017|archive-date=10 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170710160431/https://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/medicare/medicare-safety-net}}</ref>
|-
| 1 January 2018 || style="text-align: center;" | $461.30<ref name="2018 safety net">{{cite web|url=http://www.mbsonline.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/news-2018-01-01-latest-news-January|publisher=Australian Government Department of Health|title=The following changes to the Child Dental Benefits Schedule will take effect from 1 January 2018|quote=2018 OMSN Threshold – $461.30|access-date=5 September 2020|archive-date=25 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725103554/http://www.mbsonline.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/news-2018-01-01-latest-news-January|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| 1 January 2019 || style="text-align: center;" | $470.00<ref name="2019 safety net">{{cite web|url=https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/medicare/medicare-safety-net/thresholds/2019-table-thresholds|title=Medicare Safety Net Thresholds from 1 January 2019|first=Australian Government Department of|last=Health|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322225630/https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/medicare/medicare-safety-net/thresholds/2019-table-thresholds|archive-date=22 March 2019}}</ref>
|-
| 1 January 2020 || style="text-align: center;" | $477.90<ref name="2020 safety net">{{cite web|url=http://www.mbsonline.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/news-2020-01-01-latest-news-January|title=MBS online – The Revised 1 January 2020 MBS XML and Book files (PDF, DOC and ZIP) are available to download|website=mbsonline.gov.au|access-date=2021-02-07|archive-date=26 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226045310/http://www.mbsonline.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/news-2020-01-01-latest-news-January|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| 1 January 2021 || style="text-align: center;" | $481.20<ref name="2021 safety net">{{cite web|url=http://www.mbsonline.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/news-210101|title=MBS online – January 2021 News|website=mbsonline.gov.au|access-date=2021-02-07|archive-date=21 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121174245/http://www.mbsonline.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/news-210101|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| 1 January 2022 || style="text-align: center;" | $495.60<ref name="2022 safety net">{{cite web |title=MBS online – January 2022 News |url=http://www.mbsonline.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/news-220101 |access-date=2022-01-15 |website=mbsonline.gov.au |archive-date=6 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220106011344/http://www.mbsonline.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/news-220101 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
| 1 January 2023 || style="text-align: center;" | $531.70<ref name="2023 safety net">{{Cite web |date=2022-12-12 |title=MBS Online - January 2023 News |url=http://www.mbsonline.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/news-230101 |access-date=2023-03-06 |publisher=[[Department of Health and Aged Care]] |archive-date=6 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306134412/http://www.mbsonline.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/news-230101 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
| 1 January 2024 || style="text-align: center;" | $560.40<ref name="2024 safety net">{{Cite web |date=2023-12-15 |title=MBS Online - January 2024 News |url=https://www.mbsonline.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/news-240101 |publisher=[[Department of Health and Aged Care]] |access-date=16 January 2024 |archive-date=16 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240116015727/https://www.mbsonline.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/news-240101 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
| 1 January 2025 || style="text-align: center;" | $576.00<ref name="2025 safety net"/>
|}

====Extended safety net====
The extended Medicare safety net was first introduced in March 2004. Once an annual threshold in out-of-pocket costs for out-of-hospital Medicare services is reached, the Medicare rebate will increase to 80% of any future out-of-pocket costs (now subject to the extended safety net fee cap) for out-of-hospital Medicare services for the remainder of the calendar year. Out-of-pocket costs are the difference between the fee actually paid to the practitioner (subject to the fee cap) and the standard Medicare rebate.

When introduced, the general threshold for singles and families was $700, or $300 for singles and families that hold a concession card and families that received Family Tax Benefit Part A. On 1 January 2006, the thresholds were increased to $1,000 and $500 respectively. From then the extended safety net was indexed by the Consumer Price Index on 1 January each year.<ref>[http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/Review_%20Extended_Medicare_Safety_Net/$File/ExtendedMedicareSafetyNetReview.pdf Extended Medicare Safety Net Review]</ref>

Since 1 January 2010, some medical fees have been subject to a safety net fee cap, so that the out-of-pocket costs used in determining whether the threshold has been reached are limited to that cap.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/EMSN2011-ExecutiveSummary|title=Extended Medicare Safety Net Review of Capping Arrangements Report 2011: Executive Summary|first=Australian Government Department of Health and|last=Ageing|access-date=12 December 2012|archive-date=28 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120228120725/http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/EMSN2011-ExecutiveSummary|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://hpm.org/en/Surveys/CHERE_-_Australia/14/The_Medicare_Safety_Net__review_and_response.html|title=HealthPolicyMonitor – Surveys- CHERE – Australia- 14- The Medicare Safety Net: review and response|access-date=12 December 2012|archive-date=6 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140606221640/http://hpm.org/en/Surveys/CHERE_-_Australia/14/The_Medicare_Safety_Net__review_and_response.html}}</ref> The extended safety net fee cap also applies for any rebate that is paid once the EMSN threshold is reached. The items subject to a cap has expanded since 2010, the latest being in November 2012.<ref>[http://www.health.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/Factsheet-EMSN-Summary_1_Nov_2012 Summary of the changes to the Extended Medicare Safety Net – 1 November 2012] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240710003102/https://www1.health.gov.au/Internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/404ref.htm |date=10 July 2024 }}. Department of Health. Retrieved 4 June 2014.</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Thresholds for the extended Medicare safety net
|-
! Year !! Concession and Family
Tax Benefit Part A 
! General threshold
|-
| 1 January 2006 || style="text-align: center;" | $500.00 || style="text-align: center;" | $1,000.00
|-
| 1 January 2007 || style="text-align: center;" | $519.50 || style="text-align: center;" | $1,039.00<ref name="2007 safety net">{{cite web|url=http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/public/services/msn/files/1856-24-how-does-the-medicare-safety-net-work.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071202055659/http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/public/services/msn/files/1856-24-how-does-the-medicare-safety-net-work.pdf|archive-date=2 December 2007|title=How does the Medicare Safety Net Work?|date=2 December 2007}}</ref>
|-
| 1 January 2008 || style="text-align: center;" | $529.30 || style="text-align: center;" | $1,058.70<ref name="2008 safety net">{{cite web|url=http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/public/services/msn/thresholds.jsp |title=Medicare Safety Net Thresholds – Medicare Australia |date=29 May 2008 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080529075247/http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/public/services/msn/thresholds.jsp |archive-date=29 May 2008 }}</ref>
|-
| 1 January 2009 || style="text-align: center;" | $555.70 || style="text-align: center;" | $1,111.60<ref name="2009 safety net">{{cite web|url=http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/public/services/msn/thresholds.jsp |title=Medicare Safety Net Thresholds – Medicare Australia |date=25 December 2009 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091225092820/http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/public/services/msn/thresholds.jsp |archive-date=25 December 2009 }}</ref>
|-
| 1 January 2010 || style="text-align: center;" | $562.90 || style="text-align: center;" | $1,126.00<ref name="2010 safety net">{{cite web|url=http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/public/services/msn/index.jsp |title=Medicare Safety Net – Medicare Australia |date=11 January 2010 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100111203258/http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/public/services/msn/index.jsp |archive-date=11 January 2010 }}</ref>
|-
| 1 January 2011 || style="text-align: center;" | $578.60 || style="text-align: center;" | $1,157.50<ref name="2011 safety net">{{cite web|url=http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/public/services/msn/index.jsp |title=Medicare Safety Net – Medicare Australia |date=18 February 2011 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110218120808/http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/public/services/msn/index.jsp |archive-date=18 February 2011 }}</ref>
|-
| 1 January 2012 || style="text-align: center;" | $598.80 || style="text-align: center;" | $1,198.00<ref name="2012 safety net">{{cite web|url=http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/public/services/msn/index.jsp |title=Medicare Safety Net – Medicare Australia |date=13 March 2012 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313123213/http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/public/services/msn/index.jsp |archive-date=13 March 2012 }}</ref>
|-
| 1 January 2013 || style="text-align: center;" | $610.70 || style="text-align: center;" | $1,221.90<ref name="2013 safety net" />
|-
| 1 January 2014 || style="text-align: center;" | $624.10 || style="text-align: center;" | $1,248.70<ref name="2014 safety net" />
|-
| 1 January 2015 || style="text-align: center;" | $638.40 || style="text-align: center;" | $2,000.00<ref name="2015 safety net">{{cite web|url=http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/enablers/medicare/medicare-safety-net/medicare-safety-net-thresholds |title=2015 Medicare Safety Net thresholds – Department of Human Services |date=3 February 2015 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150203110953/http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/enablers/medicare/medicare-safety-net/medicare-safety-net-thresholds |archive-date= 3 February 2015 }}</ref>
|-
| 1 January 2016 || style="text-align: center;" | $647.90 || style="text-align: center;" | $2,030.00<ref name="2016 safety net" />
|-
| 1 January 2017 || style="text-align: center;" | $656.30 || style="text-align: center;" | $2,056.30<ref name="2017 safety net" />
|-
| 1 January 2018 || style="text-align: center;" | $668.10 || style="text-align: center;" | $2,093.30<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mbsonline.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/news-2018-01-01-latest-news-January|title=The 1 January 2018 MBS files (XML, DOC, PDF and ZIP) are now available to download|first=Australian Government Department of|last=Health|publisher=Australian Government Department of Health|via=mbsonline.gov.au|access-date=5 September 2020|archive-date=25 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725103554/http://www.mbsonline.gov.au/internet/mbsonline/publishing.nsf/Content/news-2018-01-01-latest-news-January|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| 1 January 2019 || style="text-align: center;" | $680.70 || style="text-align: center;" | $2,133.00<ref name="2019 safety net"/>
|-
| 1 January 2020 || style="text-align: center;" | $692.20 || style="text-align: center;" | $2,169.20<ref name="2020 safety net"/>
|-
| 1 January 2021 || style="text-align: center;" | $697.00 || style="text-align: center;" | $2,184.30<ref name="2021 safety net"/>
|-
| 1 January 2022 || style="text-align: center;" | $717.90 || style="text-align: center;" | $2,249.80<ref name="2022 safety net"/>
|-
| 1 January 2023 || style="text-align: center;" | $770.30 || style="text-align: center;" | $2,414.00<ref name="2023 safety net" />
|-
| 1 January 2024 || style="text-align: center;" | $811.80 || style="text-align: center;" | $2,544.30<ref name="2024 safety net"/>
|-
| 1 January 2025 || style="text-align: center;" | $834.50 || style="text-align: center;" | $2,615.50<ref name="2025 safety net"/>
|}