The deal is just part of the DoD’s $6bn plan to deliver health services across the entire Australian Defence Force.
The country’s second largest provider, Healius, has won a massive contract to be the Australian Defence Force’s only pathology provider until the end of March 2031.
The $84,898,604.60 contract is just part of the $6 billion Department of Defence plan to deliver health services to the whole of the ADF.
On 18 July last year the DoD issued a Request for Proposal for a new “Australian defence contracted health system”, including “comprehensive health services”. That RFP closed on 10 October 2025. A Request for Tender to invited tenderers is expected to be released some time this quarter, according to the RFP documents.
“The Commonwealth of Australia, through the Department of Defence, seeks to engage an industry partner who can deliver a contemporary, efficient, effective, and flexible approach for the delivery of health services to the ADF, and meet the anticipated growth in the ADF workforce,” said the RFP documents.
Related
The upcoming $6 billion contract will replace the current $3.4 billion deal made with Bupa in 2019, which expires on 30 June 2027.
For now, Defence personnel will be able to access blood collection nationwide across Healius’s more than 2000 pathology sites.
“It will mean greater access to pathology services, especially in high-volume health centres where requests for blood testing are greatest,” director general of health business and plans Brigadier Toni Bushby told The Mandarin, adding that this “was good news for ADF personnel and clinicians and would enable the Defence health system to deliver increased levels of health care”.
HSD reached out to Healius for comment but did not receive a response by our publication deadline.