Macular Degeneration Patients Fear Medicare Changes

0:00In Adelaide today, March 4th, Australians battling macular degeneration are worried about a proposed Medicare change that could hit them hard in the wallet or even threaten there. I cite, the plan would limit crucial eye injections to out-of-hospital settings starting July 1st, stripping away private health insurance coverage for hospital treatments. This shift means patients who get shots in hospitals now would face full out-of-pocket costs, which could add up to thousands of dollars a year for ongoing care. Pensioners like South Australian couple Leslie and John Morton feel the squeeze most. Living on a combined pension of $46,000 annually, they already spend one-fifth of their income on private health insurance and these extra bills would be impossible to handle. The couple has pushed for answers from the health minister, but their efforts have stalled even though the decision got delayed nearly a year. Health Minister Mark Butler acknowledges the treatment's vital role for patients and says he'll weigh that heavily in his final call.

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