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By Renee Viellaris
March 18, 2009 11:00pm
CANCER patients and couples struggling to have a family could lose taxpayer-funded subsidies under a plan to means-test the Medicare Safety Net.
The controversial overhaul of health funding is being considered by the Federal Government's razor gang in a desperate bid to slash spending in a looming horror May Budget.
Amid growing speculation about the cuts, Queensland doctors and cancer, heart and IVF patients throughout Australia have launched a campaign urging Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and his Cabinet not to proceed.
What do you think about the planned cuts?
Have your say Taxpayers spend $319 million each year on the Medicare Safety Net, which is meant to help people with large medical bills.
Under the scheme, taxpayers can claim 80 per cent of their out-of-pocket medical expenses once they have spent $1111 in a year for a range of doctor visits and tests, including specialist consultations, ultrasounds, pap smears, blood tests, CT scans and X-rays.
But figures show more than half the money handed out goes straight to obstetricians and gynaecologists, with the scheme growing seven times faster than the inflation rate in 2007.
Health Minister Nicola Roxon yesterday refused to confirm or deny that the Government would means-test the Medicare Safety Net or remove the eligibility of some services under it.
But the lobbying is believed to be frustrating Mr Rudd's chief-of-staff Alister Jordan, whose staff have asked the IVF lobby group Access Australia to stop emailing him about their concerns.
Access Australia spokeswoman Sandra Dill -- who argues cutting the safety net would allow only the rich to receive IVF services -- said someone from Mr Jordan's staff yesterday rang to advise of the overflowing email correspondence and suggested that her members should write letters instead.
