RPBS medicines). General benefits apply if you do not have any of the above cards. What are the current patient fees and charges? Patient co-payments The co-payment is the amount you pay towards the cost of your PBS medicine. Many PBS medicines cost a lot more than you actually pay as a co-payment. From 1 January 2012, you pay up to $35.40 for most PBS medicines or $5.80 if you have a concession card. The Australian Government pays the remaining cost. The amount of co-payment is adjusted on 1 January each year in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Safety Net On 1 January 2012, the Safety Net thresholds changed from $336.00 to $348.00 (for concession card holders) and from $1,317.20 to $1,363.30 (for all other patients). These increases include the usual annual CPI indexation. A similar increase has occurred each year for four years (commencing in 2006). The 2009 thresholds include eight additional copayments compared with the 2005 thresholds. The same general or concessional Safety Net threshold is applied to a family unit regardless of whether the unit consists of an individual, a couple or a family with dependent children. To be included in the same Safety Net family, the partners of a couple may be married or de facto, and of the same or opposite sex. A couple must be living together on a permanent basis, unless living separately due to illness. After reaching the Safety Net threshold, general patients pay for further PBS prescriptions at the