What does the 2025-26 Federal Budget mean for seniors?

It’s that time of year again. On 25 March, the 2025-26 Federal Budget was handed down by the Australian Government.  

If you’re like a lot of people, you want to get straight to the crux of what will impact you. That’s why we’re saving you the time of sifting through the mountain of information and providing a summary tailor-made for seniors. 

Let’s dive in. 

More funding to continue delivering aged care reforms and the implementation of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety’s recommendations 

The Government is providing $291.6 million to continue delivering its aged care reforms and implementation of recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. 

Let’s backtrack for a moment: What are the reforms? 

The Australian Government is in the process of rolling out a major reform across in-home aged care. 

This has been prompted by the recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aged Care, and aims to deliver a more timely, efficient, responsive, and financially sustainable aged care system. 

For those receiving in-home care, the Support at Home program will be replacing current Home Care Packages (HCP) and Short-Term Restorative Care (STRC) from July 2025. It will also replace the Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) from July 2027. 

To find out what the Support at Home Program means for you or your loved ones, check out our Reform Hub. Regularly updated, it breaks down the A to Z of the changes in a simple, straightforward manner.    

More funding for aged care workers and a pay rise for aged care nurses  

The Government is committing a total of $17.7 billion to ensure aged care workers receive well-deserved pay increases.  

As part of this commitment, an additional $2.6 billion has been allocated to provide higher salaries for aged care nurses. 

For seniors, this aims to provide a stronger, more supported and consistent workforce ready to provide timely, compassionate, and top tier care. 

More funding to increase the number of doctors and nurses  

The Budget includes funding to train up to 400 new junior doctors each year meaning that by 2028, more than 2,000 doctors will be entering GP training annually. 

For older Australians, this aims to increase GP availability, reduce wait times, and provide better access to quality medical care. 

More funding for veterans  

There will be an additional $47.6 million included in this year’s Budget. For senior veterans, this funding intends to establish better access to essential services, financial support, and recognition of their service to the country.  

More bulk billing clinics 

This Budget marks a record investment of $7.9 billion to provide more bulk billing so that seniors (and other age groups) can see a general practitioner (GP) for free.  

The Government is expanding bulk billing incentive eligibility to cover all Australians from 1 November 2025.  

This means nine out of 10 GP visits are expected to be bulk billed by 2030. 

More bulk billed Medicare Urgent Clinics 

The Government is expanding its Medicare Urgent Care Clinic network, committing $644 million to establish an additional 50 clinics nationwide to help ensure urgent but non-life-threatening medical issues can be treated outside of hospital emergency rooms. 

For seniors, this means faster treatment for urgent medical needs, closer to home, and at no cost. 

More funding for public hospitals 

Public hospitals will receive a $1.8 billion funding boost, with the Government’s total contribution to state-run public hospitals set to increase by 12% to reach a record $33.9 billion in 2025–26.  

This investment is aimed to cut down wait times for hospital procedures, improve emergency care, and improve current ambulance ramping times. 

Cheaper medicine costs and PBS scripts 

From 1 January 2026, getting essential medication will become even more affordable. The maximum PBS co-payment for non-concession cardholders will drop from $31.60 to $25.00, with pensioners continuing to pay $7.70 per script. 

Additionally, four out of five PBS medicines will be cheaper, with 60-day prescriptions providing further savings.  

This is designed to be a step towards easing cost-of-living pressures, ensuring seniors can afford the medications they need to stay healthy. 

A support package for women experiencing menopause 

This package (which also supports women with endometriosis) includes a new Medicare rebate for menopause health assessments, development of national clinical guidelines for treatment, funding to train health professionals, an awareness campaign, and the first PBS listing for new menopausal hormone therapies in over 20 years, with around 150,000 women expected to save hundreds of dollars a year. 

Want to find out more about upcoming changes to aged care? Our Reform Hub features everything you need to know. Find it here. 

To enquire about our in-home aged care services, please click here.