Capping Medicare Saftey Net for IVF/ART #2

[onthefly]

It is very encouraging to see the opposition and others likely to block this in the senate.

We're not going back this year as we just can't fit it in - but did consider trying to squeeze a cycle in because of the threatened changes.


IVF Medical Directors said, on its figures, patients' out-of-pocket costs for a typical treatment cycle would rise almost $1700 - from $895 to $2592. (Coalition threat to block IVF changes in Senate)

[dusty]

Thanks Marcellus for sharing that. I have been sticking my head in the sand on this one lately.

I found these quotes interesting

Opposition health spokesman Peter Dutton said the Government had failed to provide costings and final details of regulations - and should produce them before the legislation was voted on.

The Opposition rejects Government claims that it had already provided full details of the measures, pointing to a Government document that states that ''these items will be restructured and the caps will change, however, the overall impact on patients should remain the same''.

Independent Senator Nick Xenophon said the Government was ''pricing people out of becoming parents''.

I don't know what figures they are using to say the impact should remain the same. My new clinic appears to charge $4800 but in fact the hidden cost is $7500 way above the average of $6000 per clinic they are using. There is only one clinic in my town that charges close to that and their success rates etc aren't as good as the two pricier clinics. Ironic!

[airline]

Haven't had time to research but had my scan with FS and sadly no gestation sac, so we discussed next step - he thought we'd try FET but we said we wanted a 3rd stim cycle before the year finishes. He said he'd received an email from one his colleagues with confirmed reports that the senate was not going to pass it. Interestingly he said it'd come from the British press...?? We're still going with stim. cycle, can't risk it financially.

[airline]

Here's a link we found in the Australian today 4th Sep '09.

link here

hope this works!

[~BecD~]

Here's a link we found in the Australian today 4th Sep '09.

link here

hope this works!

wow - thanks for that - cant wait to find out what the compromise is

[AliB]

Looking good - rebates now proposed to increase from $1000 to $4000...

IVF medicare cataract surgery

[juniper76]

Further to AliB's post:

Department of Health & Ageing -Government Finalises Detail on EMSN items and CAPS

[airline]

Girls does this mean that it might actually be ok for all of us in this awful predicament?? My IVF with ICSI cycle cost us roughly $8000...OOP expense was $2400. We received a letter a couple of months ago, stating due to gov'ments intentions OOP would go up to $6400....so does this mean that clinics like mine, will revert back to what they're charging now - in 2010???? I don't want to get my hopes up...but this sounds pretty good huh???

[milly's mummy]

sorry i just realised a few others have already posted the new medicare cap link.