ACT proposes increasing health budget share for medicines to match Australia

Sunday 26 July 2026 · 3 outlets · 3 reports · updated Sun 26 Jul, 4:11pm

In this story ACT Party, David Seymour

The ACT Party plans to increase the proportion of the health budget spent on pharmaceuticals by one percentage point each year. This policy aims to raise spending from 4.9% to 12.2% by 2033 to reach parity with Australia.

How they headlined it

3h

12:34pm4:11pm

1. StuffSun 26 Jul, 12:34pm

   ACT announces policy to close medicine funding gap with Australia (opens in new tab)

2. NZ HeraldSun 26 Jul, 12:41pm

   Medicines to get larger share of health funding under Act policy (opens in new tab)

3. 1News via RNZSun 26 Jul, 4:11pm

   ACT campaigns to close Pharmac funding gap (opens in new tab)