Victoria's Coalition has matched Labor's election commitment to cover out-of-pocket abortion care costs, according to Guardian Australia. Opposition Leader Jess Wilson told the outlet on Thursday afternoon that a Liberal National government would match the costs pledge ahead of the November state election.
The Guardian reported that the Coalition commitment covered care up to 16 weeks' gestation, including GP and specialist consultations, scans, tests and medication. Those expenses can add up to more than $1,000. The promises concern the cost of obtaining care, rather than a service already operating under the proposed arrangements.
Under Labor's published policy, participating private and public providers would be paid to deliver medical and surgical abortion care when gestation is under 16 weeks. Patients at participating providers would face no GP or specialist consultation fees, imaging or testing fees, or medication costs.
The ABC reported that Labor's policy was estimated to cost $30 million over four years. Its reporting described how patients can still face costs for blood tests, scans, screening and medication even though Medicare covers some procedure costs, with travel adding another expense for women in country Victoria.
The parties' commitments differ on the window for medical abortion. Labor proposes extending it from nine to 10 weeks' gestation and asking Safer Care Victoria to lead a clinical review into access up to 12 weeks. The review would consider where care should be delivered and who should provide it.
The Guardian reported that the Coalition would not match that extension or the proposed clinical review. Its agreement on covering costs therefore does not amount to support for every element of Labor's package, which combines changes to funding with proposals intended to improve access to services.
Regional travel is another part of the commitments. Labor says it would expand eligibility for the Victorian Patient Travel Assistance Scheme to cover care delivered by rural generalists specialising in anaesthesia and obstetrics. The Guardian reported that the Coalition would also expand assistance for women travelling long distances for abortion care, covering subsidised travel and accommodation.
Labor's policy identifies long waits for GP appointments and the cost and difficulty of obtaining imaging as barriers in regional Victoria. It says those delays can leave women outside the nine-week medical abortion window, with surgery then the alternative. The proposed extension is intended to give women more time to obtain care.
The package also promises training for nurse practitioners and endorsed midwives working in community health who want to provide abortion care. Labor says it would expand the 1800 My Options service delivered by Women's Health Victoria, adding staff and resources to support information and referrals as free care is rolled out.
