Women's health in Australia: how access works and what it costs
A lot of routine women's health care no longer has to start with a GP. A trained pharmacist can treat an uncomplicated UTI in every state whose rules we could read, and resupply contraception in most of them. Online doctors consult by video or phone, sometimes with a Medicare rebate and often without. For menopause, Medicare now pays for a dedicated assessment with your own GP. These guides set out what each route covers, what it costs, and where Medicare applies.
Women's health is still being built. We add provider comparisons and any current offers once we have checked a provider ourselves; nothing on this page earns us a commission until then. How we make money.
Coming soon
Provider comparisons are being added
The guides below are published and free to read. The comparison of women's telehealth providers is next, and we add a provider only after checking it ourselves.
Hear when providers are added
One email when the comparison goes up. Your email only; no answers or health details.
Every guide in this section
Each one compares routes rather than providers, with every figure read from a government or provider page and dated.
- CostsMenopause care: what the routes costThe Medicare menopause health assessment, what private telehealth services charge, and why telehealth is rebated less.
- ComparisonContraception without a GPWhat a pharmacist can do in each state, what online consults cost, and where it is bulk-billed.
- ComparisonUTI treatment without a GPPharmacist UTI services state by state, and the one state we found where the consultation is free.
- ComparisonWeight-loss telehealth for womenHow the women-focused programs differ from the general ones, in the weight-loss section.
Common questions
On medicines. These pages never name a prescription medicine, because advertising one to the public is prohibited in Australia and what is appropriate for you is a practitioner's decision after an individual assessment.
- Where can I get women's health care without seeing a GP in Australia?
- More than most people expect. In every state whose rules we could read, a trained pharmacist can treat an uncomplicated urinary tract infection in women aged 18 to 65, and in most states a pharmacist can resupply the contraception you already use. Online doctors can consult by video or phone. A GP is still the route for anything new, complex or recurring, and since 1 November 2025 the bulk billing incentive applies to every Medicare-eligible patient.
- Is women's health telehealth covered by Medicare?
- Sometimes. Ordinary GP telehealth needs a face-to-face visit with that practice in the last 12 months, but Medicare's sexual and reproductive health telehealth items pay a rebate without one. Many online services charge a private fee instead. The Medicare menopause health assessment is in-person only. Ask any service which item it bills before you book.
- Do you name specific medicines on these pages?
- No. Advertising prescription medicines to the public is prohibited in Australia, and what is appropriate for you is a decision for a registered practitioner after an individual assessment. These pages compare how care is accessed, what it costs and what Medicare covers.
- Does Refer Labs earn from this section?
- Not yet. No provider has been added to women's health, so nothing in this section pays us. When one is added, every page linking to it will say so beside the link, and this answer will change.