EYESIGHT TREATMENT SAVED
The Member for Berowra, Philip Ruddock MP said today that constituents who suffer vision loss and face blindness from macular degeneration are now assured they won’t face higher costs for vital treatment.
“The Coalition had forced the Rudd Government to withdraw measures which would have made sight-saving treatment unaffordable for many people,” Mr Ruddock said.
“This is great news for the estimated 17,000 Australians who develop macular degeneration each year.
“Without the treatment – an injection of the drug Lucentis into the eye – some sufferers of macular degeneration would go blind
“The Rudd Government wanted to place a cap on re-imbursements under the Extended Medicare Safety Net for these therapeutic injections which are needed on an ongoing basis, but Coalition pressure saw it dropped from legislation before Parliament at the last moment.
Under Labor’s proposed caps to the Extended Medicare Safety Net re-imbursement for treatment would have plunged from an average $236.20 per injection to just $80.
Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in Australia, affecting one in seven Australians over the age of 50. It is responsible for almost half the cases of severe vision loss.
“The Coalition had also ensured that both Houses of Parliament would have to approve any future changes the Government wanted to make to the Extended Medicare Safety Net,” Philip Ruddock said.