04 December 2009 in Media
Patients must come first: Ruthless cuts to cataract surgery
The Coalition has once again sent a strong message to the Rudd Government by disallowing the ruthless cut to the Medicare rebate for cataract surgery in the Senate.
Not only has the Rudd Government capped the Medicare Safety Net, breaking a key 2007 election promise, it also earlier this year announced measures to halve the Medicare rebate that patients can claim for cataract surgery.
Cataract surgery helps restore patient vision and further reduces falls, fractures and their associated hospitalisations. In fact, 70 per cent of cataract surgery is currently performed in the private health system and such changes will drive senior Australians, many from the electorate of Mayo, into an already overstretched public health system.
A number of concerned constituents have contacted my office expressing their outrage at the Government’s decision, many of whom have indicated they will now not have the much needed surgery.
The original cut made the procedure unaffordable and reduced the rebate from $623 to $312, hurting the pockets of patients.
The Coalition will continue to work closely with the Australian Society of Ophthalmologists to keep the issue at the forefront of the agenda and will do everything possible to ensure the rate of rebate remains unchanged.