Reimbursement for the cost of compression therapy for the management of venous leg ulcers in Australia

Australia’s health system is world-class, however wound management in Australia is extremely complex and diverse, and the prevention and treatment of venous leg ulcers (VLUs), is an area where Australia particularly lags behind. Evidence-based Australian guidelines recommend compression therapy as the primary treatment for VLUs, however despite significant evidence of the health and economic benefits of compression therapy, it is not widely used in practice. Compression therapy is not subsidised through the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) or Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) which list medicines subsidised by the Australian Government. Therefore patients must also pay high out-of-pocket costs for VLU treatments, including for products such as compression bandages. A large health economics collaboration culminated in a strong body of evidence showing that adequate reimbursement for guideline-based services and products would not only result in cost savings for patients and the health system but also improve health outcomes and quality of life for patients with VLUs in Australia. There is an urgent need to change current practice in Australia to allow the costs of compression therapy to be adequately reimbursed to both patients and health care providers by listing compression therapy in PBS for all affected individuals or creating wound-specific MBS items.