Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health Administration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing, Senator Ludwig. Is the minister aware that the Rudd Labor government’s decision to target more than 100,000 senior Australians in need of timely and affordable access to cataract surgery in the private health system will mean that they will face more than $600 in increased out-of-pocket expenses every year for every procedure?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Clearly, cataract surgery is an area where this government is trying to ensure that we can get savings of $98 million over four years, at $24.5 million a year, but in doing so it is also about ensuring that those people who do require complex procedures also get a rebate of $850. We know that those on the opposite side do not want to support budget initiatives that ensure that we use the budget to help those people, including seniors, who require assistance right across the health system.

This government is not putting itself on the side of ophthalmologists and ensuring that they continue to receive $585,000 from Medicare each year. They earn, on average, $154,000 from cataract procedures alone. So this government is putting in place appropriate measures to ensure that consumers and patients benefit from the new MBS. When you look at the actual statistics themselves, you will see that ophthalmologists conduct, on average, about 243 cataract operations per year, which are covered 100 per cent by the MBS, 75 per cent by the MBS rebate and 25 per cent by private health insurance. Ophthalmologists will of course continue to charge their high fees, but we want to ensure that the government does not have to pay— (Time expired)

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health Administration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Given the Senate clearly does not support the government’s decision to cut cataract surgery rebates, will the minister now urge the Rudd government to seek a trade-off with the pink batts program and redirect increased funds to the real and genuine health concerns of senior Australians?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What this government wants to ensure is that we have a policy that is responsive to the needs of the modern health system. In fact, if you look at the argument that is being placed, I would also remind the Senate that, in today’s Age newspaper, the CEO of the Consumers Health Forum said:

I would like to know why the opposition is seeking to support medical specialists who are seeking to retain high incomes at the expense of consumers.

We now have a position where the opposition support a position of ensuring that consumers do not win, that consumers miss out on important reform that this government is progressing with. What we want to ensure is that the community can access ophthalmologists and that ophthalmologists charge appropriately in this respect. What we are not going to support is a position where those opposite— (Time expired)

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health Administration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have a further supplementary question. Will the government do the responsible thing and support the Health Insurance Amendment (Revival of Table Items) Bill 2009, which passed the Senate earlier today, or is the minister satisfied with the Rudd government’s decision to prioritise $2.6 billion for pink batts over Australians in need of life-changing cataract surgery?

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The opposition’s actions today will throw cataract procedures into disarray. Australians scheduled to have this procedure performed will now face the uncertainty of being billed for their entire procedure without receiving any government rebate. That is what the opposition have now put—

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health Administration) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, on a point of order going to relevance, I asked a very specific question: will the government support the legislation passed by the Senate—yes or no? If the minister does not know, rather than babble along, he should take it on notice and find out for us and tell us this afternoon.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, once again—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! It is completely disorderly for these exchanges to take place when another senator is on their feet making a point of order. Senator Conroy.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Once again, this is a completely spurious point of order based on an insistence by those opposite that you instruct Senator Ludwig and other ministers on how to answer the question. They are clearly standing up and saying, ‘The answer is yes, no or sit down.’ Mr President, that is clearly not within your powers. This is a completely spurious press release. Senator Ludwig could not have been more relevant to the question, if those opposite could hear him over the cacophony of noise that they are engaged in. This was clearly relevant and they are asking you to break standing orders by directing the minister to say yes or no.

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There are 26 seconds remaining to answer the question. I draw the minister’s attention to the question that has been asked.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is time those opposite stopped siding with the specialists and started supporting taxpayers who are being slugged with unreasonable fees. That is the position that the opposition are now adopting.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The time for debate is post question time. If people want to actively participate in that debate they are most welcome to. I am at least entitled to hear the answer that the minister is giving.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government wants to pay an appropriate rebate for this procedure and hopes those opposite will reconsider their position and support these changes. The government’s proposal is very reasonable. We are adjusting these fees to better reflect— (Time expired)