Capping Medicare Saftey Net for IVF/ART

[Miss E]

Hi Ladies,

Firstly, I just wanted to say what amazing women you all are. The way you have taken on this issue and invested so much time and energy into it is very admirable.

I also wanted to make the point that the repercussions of means testing the Safety Net will go much further and wider. We have private health insurance and are going through the private system to have our baby.

However, if we weren't eligible for the Safety Net I think we would've decided to go through the public system because the out of pocket expenses for OB's, scans, blood tests etc would've have gone from about $3,500 to $8,000 or more.

So while the gov't may think they can save a few bucks by means testing the Safety Net, chances are such a move will just put more stress on the public system and end up costing the tax payer more money as people who would've gone private will end up relying on the public system.

[buliej]

The comments/responses to that Courier-Mail article are very harsh - very disturbing.

[Sara69]

Hi,

Did some research about the author of that piece against IVF funding and while she is a very respected journalist, she seems to have very strong views about this issue which are influenced by her personal journey:

https://www.melbourne.anglican.com.a...id=3936&s=2189

Sara

[buliej]

Certainly not unbiased reporting! I wonder why she is so bitter and wants to impose her view on others.

[Muppity]

gees - those comments on the notice boards or the articles were terrible terrible reading - I just can't believe that there are people out there who still think that.

[Sara69]

Hi Have just emailed Jill Singer and got a reply from her, please see below:

Re: IVF‏
From: jsinger@bigblue.net.au (jsinger@bigblue.net.au)
Sent: Thursday, 26 March 2009 2:55:59 AM


Hi Sara

I hope it goes well for you. I'm not suggesting the removal of all subsidies, merely that some sort of cap should be put on them.

Best of luck

Jill Singer




Jill Singer
JS Productions Pty Ltd




Hi,

I am writing in regards to your article about IVF funding.

I am currently undergoing IVF treatment because of a dominant genetic condition that I carry and that can result in a life-threatening condition for my children.

IVF treatment is heart breaking and a very tough place to be in. My partner and I have spent $6000 out-ofpocket this financial year and have received a Medicare safety net subsidy of $3000.

It's already very hard for us to fund this treatment I haven't had a holiday or being able to buy anything expect real neccessities this year as we have to pay for the mortgage as well.

I don't have a choice in this as I can't bring it over me to undergo the risk to pass this condition on to a child. While I know I will only have one child as I don't think I can face this treatment more than once, I think that it would be really hard if the government subsidy was being taken away from us.

Sincerely,

Sara

[tamtim01]

Good Afternoon Ladies,

This morning I heard on the radio that the government is thinking about stopping the subsidy for IVF. I was so appalled with this that I just had to write an email to my local MP and the government urging them not going ahead with this.

I like many of you are unable to conceive for one reason or another, I have been saving for the past 3 months to pay the upfront cost of $4,000 before my husband and I start treatment. It has been hard because of course we have had a few things come up that we have had to deal with. I have private health insurance which I had to budget for because I really want to have children. I come from a big family myself and I don't feel that it is fair that I nor anyone else in my situation be denied the right to have children. I don't understand why the government is even thinking of doing this when we have been told to populate the country. People like us are very caring and are probably more deserving than some other people who have children and don't even want to have them to begin with or are too young and have them and deal with the consequence of having a child.

I urge everyone to write/email your local MP and also to the Australian Government, so that this can be stopped, I understand that some things have to be cut in the budget, but I don't believe that people who genuinely deserve to use IVF should have to be out of pocket thousands more than what they are already are. Some people can not afford to save anymore than what they already have to.

I am hoping to start our treatment in early April this year in Victoria, I will let you know how I go I am just a little scared to begin with!

I emailed members of parliment yesterday and sent copies to my local MP's, but havent had a reply yet, I shall let you know if I get any replies.

Thanks for listening I just needed to get this of my chest.

Tammy

[sazzafrazz]

Gee Sara, Jill gave such a *heartfelt* (sarcasm) response. A one line letter is so rude!!!

I was so angry reading the responses on the newspaper board. Is it just that mainly nasty, ill-informed predjudiced people post on those boards or does a lot of the population really feel that way? Gosh I hope not! I really hate when reporting becomes so opinionated. Why cant newspapers report facts and readers form the opinions? Are people so lazy now that they want their opinions given to them?

[briggsy's girl]

Gee Sara, Jill gave such a *heartfelt* (sarcasm) response. A one line letter is so rude!!!

I was so angry reading the responses on the newspaper board. Is it just that mainly nasty, ill-informed predjudiced people post on those boards or does a lot of the population really feel that way? Gosh I hope not! I really hate when reporting becomes so opinionated. Why cant newspapers report facts and readers form the opinions? Are people so lazy now that they want their opinions given to them?

Sazz - they seem to only post the reponses that get people stirred up and coming back to read more - i posted replies to both and they didn't get put up - not happy!

[airline]

I'm just bout in tears reading the comments after courier mail article. how can people...and for some reason i think espec. women say and believe things like that.............

[Sara69]

BG - Agree with you I also posted replies to both pieces and they didn't go up.

Sara

[buliej]

They didn't publish my comments either - I also wrote a letter to the editor.

[buliej]

You will all be interested in the below email which I've just received from ACCESS on this article
______________
FROM ACCESS:

Thanks to all who have written emails and letters and done radio or newspaper interviews. They are having a significant impact as this story shows.

The IVF revolution is money badly spent | Herald Sun


Please leave a message with your reaction to an article by Jill Singer:

Readers' Comments: IVF revolution money badly spent - Herald Sun

People have already started writing in with their comments but we need 100s of responses so they realise that her cynical judgements are misguided at best. Ms Singer did not speak to anyone at Access before writing this. She ridicules us for calling ourselves 'consumers'.
That's what we are; consumers accessing a medical service. What is her problem?!

She claims to be sensitive then proceeds to offer such harsh, misguided judgements about us.

We pay taxes too and IVF for many people is MORE successful than natural conception. She clearly has not thought about the added costs to the medical system for the anxiety and distress if we were not able to access medical care for the medical condition of infertility.

Let's join together with our combined voices to let her know what we think today!

And if you would like to send a letter to the Herald Sun's editor, the link is Send a letter to the editor

[Mummawannabe]

They didn't publish my comment and the worst word i used was arse.......go figure

[Mummawannabe]

Hey guys,
I got a letter back from Senator Ian McDonald today - he basically said he had passed my concerns onto Minister for Health and Ageing Nicola Roxon MP and Shadow Minister Peter Dutton MP and he enclosed copies of those letters that he forwarded too.
(I had already emailed these guys - but annoying them again can't hurt!)

[Lenny]

It is heart-wrenching and so distressing to read some of the nasty cruel things that some uninformed, and unenlightened people choose to throw around. My blood just boils reading some of that garbage.
Thank you to Sara for posting about this in the PALTTTC thread for us to read too.
I hope our voices can get through to someone.

[Hollybolly]

I'm yet to receive any responses back from my letter either... not that I expect to!

I've sent it to a few different people... wondering if Ms Singer will write back to me?!

[belle333]

Hi

Not sure if this has been mentioned already but the Sydney IVF site has a list of email addresses for Ministers and Newspapers that you can email.

AND i EMAILED EVERYBODY ... only office I got a response from was Peter Costello!

It was also mentioned on the Channel 9 morning show this morning.

And its not just for IVF ... it will affect pregnancies as well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seems like a money saving project to me.