Labor backs off cataract rebate cut

Eye doctors say patients will postpone planned cataract surgery for a fortnight
after the Rudd government overruled the Senate and cut Medicare rebates by slightly
less than half.
Labor has introduced new regulations reducing the standard rebate from $624 to $340.
Health Minister Nicola Roxon had to give up on her plan to cut the standard rebate
to just $312 after the upper house disallowed that move on Wednesday.
But doctors say an extra $28 won't stop elderly Australians putting off their surgery.
The Australian Society of Ophthalmologists (ASO) argues patients will wait to see
what happens when parliament resumes in two weeks' time.
The opposition has vowed to then try again to reinstate the original refund of more
than $600.
ASO president Russell Bach said private health funds will cut their payments in line
with the lower rebate announced on Thursday.
"That means many patients are going to be in double jeopardy and out of pocket for
their planned operation an extra $800 to $900," Dr Bach told AAP.
Some will be able to pay the additional cost, but many won't, he said.
"They're the ones saying let's just cool it and see what happens."
Ms Roxon says the new rebate ensures patients won't be left in the lurch without any
assistance.
That could have been the unintended consequence of the non-Labor senators' decision
to block Labor's original plan to halve the rebate.
"We are introducing new regulations which we believe continue with the government's
objectives to make sure that we pay a reasonable, but not excessive amount, for
cataract procedures," Ms Roxon said, adding the coalition was taking a "kamikaze"
approach to policy making.
However, opposition health spokesman Peter Dutton insists he'll continue to fight
for the higher rebate to be reinstated.
That means Ms Roxon's latest regulation will most likely be disallowed again when
parliament resumes on November 16.
"We have said that we will disallow and that's a very clear message to the
government," Mr Dutton said.
"What the minister has said today is that patients will be just under $300 worse off
as opposed to just over $300 worse off."
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd now had to intervene, Mr Dutton said.
"The prime minister needs to step in.
"Clearly this issue is completely beyond the ability of the health minister."
Family First's Steve Fielding said increasing the rebate by just $28 was an
"insulting" joke.
"I believe we'll continue to move disallowance motions into this issue," he said.
He was backed by fellow cross-bench senator Nick Xenophon, who said he felt like it
was groundhog day with all parties "getting nowhere fast".
But those hoping Labor might back down completely could be in for a rude shock next
month.
In announcing the $28 higher rebate on Thursday, Ms Roxon made it clear it wasn't
aimed at appeasing the opposition.
Rather, it was simply a technical requirement that the new regulations had to be
"substantially different" from the previous ones.
"The rates of change from between $25 and $50 ensures they comply with that
requirement," Ms Roxon said.
Labor hoped to save $98 million over four years by halving the rebate for standard
cataract operations.
It says eye doctors are earning million-dollar salaries - at taxpayers' expense -
because the procedure is so quick and easy to perform.