Glenmore Park resident Harry Morfoot, who had a cataract removed from his right eye in November, said it was like someone had ``turned the light on''.
``I can read the fine print of the phone book now.'' Although he was a public patient, the rebate cuts drove him to write a letter to the Health Minister Nicola Roxon about the ``myth'' the procedure took a short amount of time.
His operation alone took 40 minutes, not including preparation and recovery time.``You should never save money on anyone's health, I don't care what anyone says.''
``Leave it [the rebate] as it was.''
PENRITH cataract patients are less likely to be out of pocket after negotiations are held on the controversial rebate cuts.
As the Star reported last year, the Federal Government proposed to slash the Medicare benefit for cataract procedures from November.
But after two disallowance motions in the Senate, the
Government is now negotiating a smaller reduction.
Doctor Bill Glasson, vice-president of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists, said last week they and the Australian Society of Ophthalmologists had been having discussions with the Government for a 10-12.5 per cent reduction.
Deputy Leader of the Opposition Julie Bishop said in Perth last Sunday: ``The Rudd Government is about to back down on its misguided cuts to the Medicare rebate for cataract surgery.''
Doctors' earnings coloured the debate around the cuts but Dr Glasson said doctors could have said nothing and let the patients pick up the gap, adding they were the only independent, true advocates for patients.
``It's got nothing to do with us,'' he said. ``It's the patient rebate.''
Also part of discussions was a one to two year moratorium on the rebate amount and funds for procedures in rural areas.
On Tuesday, Dr Glasson said discussions with the Health
Minister had been ``very, very fruitful'' and said he would like to think they would sign off on an agreement by the end of the week.
``We'd like to resolve it and move on.''
He said it was good they were sitting at the table and discussing it with the Government of the day, and thanked them for being ``mature''.
Doctor Simon Liew, ophthalmic surgeon with Marsden Eye Specialists, Penrith, said while it was good news, they preferred the Government ``didn't touch it in the first place''.
And, while there was a ``big rush'' to have the procedure done before the November 1 rebate cut, a lot of patients, he said, ``just copped it on the chin''.
``They had no choice.''
The chopping and changing made it difficult to quote the cost of surgery to patients, but they tried their best, Dr Liew said.
``The patients are so understanding.'
'The eye specialists he knew were hard-working Australians that put in a lot of work outside what they needed to do, he said.`
`The Government's wanted to make it into we are the greedy doctors but that has failed.''
In a statement to the Star last week a spokesman for Justine Elliot, Acting Health Minister, said they were still in ``active discussions'' with the ophthalmologists.
``When changes in technology create efficiencies we expect these benefits to be passed on to the taxpayer.
``The Senate actions have led to considerable uncertainty for patients and we do not want to see this continue.''
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