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Facts on cataract surgery in Victoria
29 September 2009.
The Australian Labor Party’s YouTube video attempt to gain support for cuts to the cataract surgery Medicare rebate overlooks a number of key facts, AMA Victoria President Dr Harry Hemley said today.
“Patients in Victoria who can’t afford to pay the extra costs for cataract surgery will be forced into the public system,” he said.
“Waits for cataract surgery are already long in the public system but if a large group of patients are squeezed out of private surgery, the public waiting times will blow out.”
Almost 21,000 cases of the most common cataract surgeries were performed in Victoria’s private system in 2007-08 compared with 12,000 in the public hospital system.
“Imagine if half of the patients who had private surgery were added to the public hospital waiting lists - the system would not be able to cope.”
Dr Hemley said 79 per cent of Medicare rebates for cataract surgery were paid to men and women over the age of 65.
“Cataracts can significantly reduce your quality of life and independence – they make it impossible to drive, increase the risk of falls and reduce independence.
“The Medicare rebate must be maintained at its current level to ensure that older Victorians aren’t forced to wait longer for sight-restoring surgery.”
“Here are the facts:
“FACT: Visually impaired patients wait more than 100 days for cataract surgery at the Royal Eye and Ear Hospital and this does not include the wait to get on the waiting list which could be 12 months or more.
“FACT: Cutting rebates will force more people onto public waiting lists.”
“The Federal Government has ignored concerns about cataract surgery waiting times in public hospitals,” Dr Hemley said. “Put simply, the decision to cut the Medicare rebate for older and vulnerable Victorians will mean people will wait longer for care in public hospitals.”
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