DOCTORS REFORM SOCIETY
Thursday 29th October 2009
CATARACTS, MONEY, AND THE FORGOTTEN PATIENTS
“The health of patients with cataracts is being forgotten by all major parties in the debate
about Medicare rebates for cataract surgery,”
said Dr Tim Woodruff, President, Doctors
Reform Society.
“The Federal Government’s main interest appears to be to save money even though it knows
that some eye surgeons will not reduce their fees, thus leaving patients to pay more or simply
not have the vision saving operation,” said Dr Woodruff
“The eye surgeons are clearly putting interest in defending their own income in front of
providing affordable access to patients
for an operation they know can transform their
patients’ lives.
And now the Federal Opposition is playing politics with the issue in a way
which may lead to patients getting no Medicare rebate at all.”
“But all three players continue to ignore the basic problem which leads to this unhealthy
debacle,” said Dr Woodruff. “The weakened public hospital system upon which the majority
of Australians depend for their cataract surgery, cannot possibly compete with a private
industry which is so heavily taxpayer funded but which is only accessible to those who can
afford it. Many elderly are desperate enough to have private health cover because they don’t
want to be queuing
at the public hospitals to get their lives back by having their vision
restored.”
“It is this taxpayer funding of the private system which sets the scene for private specialists to
charge almost what they like, knowing that there are enough patients who are desperate
enough to pay extra to avoid public hospital queues.”
“Rather than ignoring patients and attempting to control a fundamentally flawed private
industry, the Federal Government must adequately fund the public system so that it can
compete for patients and doctors against the taxpayer funded private industry. It also needs to
address the ‘closed shop’ training of specialists to ensure there are sufficient specialists for
our patients.”
Dr Tim Woodruff
Dr Con Costa
President
Vice President
Doctors Reform Society
Ph 0418400309
Ph 0401042619
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