3 March 2026 - Top Stories

Australian health tech is moving from niche to mainstream, with online therapy now a routine option rather than a niche service. My Mirror's 2025 Mental Health Review draws on de-identified data from thousands of online psychology sessions and finds distress scores can fall over time, with some people starting with severe anxiety improving after three to four sessions according to DASS-21 measures. Demand is rising, with average monthly psychology sessions up more than 60 per cent versus 2024, signalling online platforms are becoming a standard support for many Australians.

In Canberra, a cross-section of practitioners and patient groups is pressing for funding reform to support longer GP visits for complex care. More than 15 million Australians live with chronic or complex conditions, and current Medicare rebates do not adequately cover the extra time required. A targeted 40 per cent increase for Level C and Level D consultations is being advocated to make longer visits affordable and reduce patient out-of-pocket costs, with possible implications for how primary care is funded through the year’s Medicare Benefits Schedule review.

NSW health officials say they will not copy Queensland’s ban on puberty blockers or hormone treatments for young people with gender dysphoria. The approach remains evidence based, with care described as age-appropriate and delivered by multidisciplinary teams. NSW is awaiting NHMRC advice on puberty suppression due mid-2026, while continuing to review emerging evidence to inform care pathways and consent processes that health tech vendors can support through decision-support and integrated care platforms.

From 1 March the PBS extends listings for nivolumab and ipilimumab, with a price cap of $25 per course. This world-first listing covers several cancers, allowing clinicians to prescribe based on tumour biology rather than cancer type. The change is expected to save more than 5,000 Australians about $100,000 per course and reduces administrative hurdles, creating a clearer, tumour-agnostic funding pathway for immunotherapy.

An inflight medical case underlines the value of remote support and basic tools when space and training are limited. Practical lessons show you don’t need perfect aeromedical expertise to help; ground-based guidance and essential gear enable stabilisation, highlighting the growing role of telemedicine and portable tech in remote settings.

Looking ahead, Australia’s care model is being pushed toward community hubs to manage rising demand before it reaches hospital walls. Neighbourhood Health Hubs are proposed as core infrastructure to shift care out of hospitals, with implications for capital allocation and digital health partnerships. In parallel, the RACGP has expanded its extended-skills program to include migrant, refugee and asylum seeker health, formalising pathways for GPs to specialise in refugee care and improving access to culturally safe services.

• Online therapy is now routine: demand up 60% year on year, underpinned by large de-identified data sets showing distress reductions.
• GP rebates pressure rises: calls for a 40% boost for Level C/D visits to better cover longer, chronic-care consultations.
• NSW maintains an evidence-based puberty care stance, awaiting mid-2026 NHMRC guidance and emphasising multidisciplinary delivery.
• PBS expands tumour-agnostic immunotherapy funding with a $25 per course cap, streamlining multi-cancer use and cutting admin work.
• Inflight care case highlights the value of remote guidance and basic, portable tools for stabilising patients in resource-constrained settings.
• Neighbourhood Health Hubs could reframe capital allocation and digital health partnerships to reduce hospital load.
• Refugee health gains formal recognition within RACGP extended-skills, improving access to culturally safe GP care.