Andrew Southcott, Federal Member for Boothby said the Coalition supported by crossbench Senators had forced the Rudd Government to back-down from imposing the extra costs.

Labor has confirmed that it would no longer seek to reduce Medicare rebates for cataract surgery by a staggering 51 per cent.

After negotiations with ophthalmologists the rebates will be reduced by just 12 per cent and leading doctors have said its likely most practitioners will absorb that cost leaving few patients out of pocket.

“This is great news for the estimated 120,000 Australians who undergo cataract surgery each year,” Andrew said.

 “The Rudd Government and Health Minister Nicola Roxon have stubbornly attempted to impose these savage financial imposts on cataract sufferers without one thought for the impact their actions would have on patients.”

Labor first outlined drastic reductions in Medicare rebates in last year’s Budget.

“The Coalition told them it was the wrong thing to do, crossbench Senators told them it was the wrong thing to do, so too did doctors, pensioners and seniors’ groups, but they ploughed on and from November 1 last year rebates paid to patients dropped from just over $600 to around $300.”

“That left patients – mostly our seniors – the very people who least can afford to pay more, to find several hundred dollars more from their own pockets to pay for this vital surgery,” Andrew Southcott said.

The Coalition told the Government its harsh measures weren’t acceptable.

“We twice disallowed these cuts in the Senate, forcing the Government to twice increase the rebate. However we said from the start that it should be returned to its initial level and would have rejected the Government’s actions again when Parliament resumed this month.”

Facing a third rejection in the Senate the Health Minister late last year began negotiations with specialists who carry out cataract surgery.

“That was something she should have done at the outset,” Andrew Southcott said.

Andrew Southcott said at no time did the Rudd Labor Government consider the impact its actions would have on patients, instead it was determined to inflict its ideological views on ordinary Australians at any cost.

The Shadow Minister for Health Peter Dutton said the result was finally a commonsense outcome which would enable patients to afford cataract surgery.

“It means people can stay living in their homes, continue to drive their cars and enjoy a normal social life – things the Rudd Government was prepared to deny people who could not afford to pay more for their healthcare,” Mr Dutton said.