Closing the Gap (CTG)
CTG is a joint initiative of Medicare and the Department of Human Services to provide more affordable access to PBS medicines for eligible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.
- Eligible General patients are entitled to PBS scripts at the Concessional price.
- Eligible patients with a pre-existing Concession or Repat status receive PBS scripts at the Safety Net Entitlement rate.
For details about Closing the Gap, see the Department of Human Services website.
Although the price paid for scripts is reduced, the value accrued towards a CTG Patients’ Safety Net total remains at Patient Category. For example, a General CTG Patient will pay the Concessional price for a claimable PBS script, but the Safety Net value will be that for a General patient.
Similarly, Concession and Repat CTG Patients will pay the Safety Net Entitlement price for a claimable NHS script, and the Safety Net value will remain as for a Concession/Repat patient.
Pharmacies dispensing items that would normally be priced under the patient co-payment dollar value to CTG Patients are eligible to claim the difference between the patient’s payment under the CTG scheme and the actual price of the under co-payment script, from Medicare The paperwork for these under co-payment items does not need to be sent to Medicare.