National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Act 2025 (Cth)

National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Act 2025

No. 39, 2025

An Act to amend the National Health Act 1953, and for related purposes

Contents

National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Act 2025

No. 39, 2025

An Act to amend the National Health Act 1953, and for related purposes

[Assented to 4 September 2025]

The Parliament of Australia enacts:

1Short title

This Act is the National Health Amendment (Cheaper Medicines) Act 2025.

2Commencement

1. (1)

   Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.

Commencement information
Column 1	Column 2	Column 3
Provisions	Commencement	Date/Details
1. The whole of this Act	1 January 2026.	1 January 2026

Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this Act as originally enacted. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this Act.

1. (2)

   Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this Act. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this Act.

3Schedules

Legislation that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect according to its terms.

Schedule 1Amendments

National Health Act 1953

1. 1

   Subsection 84(1) (definition of general patient charge amount)

   Omit “$30.00”, substitute “$25.00”.

2

Subparagraph 87(2)(e)(i)

Omit “(less any allowable discount)”.

3

Subparagraph 87(2)(e)(ii)

Omit “lowest amount chargeable under subparagraph (i)”, substitute “general patient charge amount”.

4

Subsection 87(2) (note 3)

Repeal the note.

5

Subsection 99(2C) (note)

Omit “(less any allowable discount)”.

6

Subsection 99G(1A)

Omit “1 January 2025”, substitute “1 January 2026”.

7

Section 99GC

Repeal the section.

8

Section 99GE

Omit “99GC or”.

[Minister’s second reading speech made in—

House of Representatives on 30 July 2025

Senate on 28 August 2025]

(44/25)