Government scraps eye injection change amid warnings patients worse off

PRIVATE hospitals appreciate the Federal Government's decision to scrap a proposed policy change that would have pushed up costs of sight-saving eye injections for thousands of Australians.

The Government has confirmed it has abandoned the planned reclassification of intravitreal eye injections from a Type B to a Type C procedure under private health insurance arrangements, which had been due to take effect on 1 July 2026.

APHA Chief Executive Officer Brett Heffernan said the decision followed sustained warnings from the private hospital sector that the change would have shifted costs onto patients and risked reducing access to treatment.

"This proposal would have left many Australians facing higher out-of-pocket costs for essential eye treatment," Mr Heffernan said.

"These injections are used to treat serious conditions, such as macular degeneration, and are critical to preventing vision loss. For many patients, missing treatment can mean losing their sight."

The change had been proposed following recommendations from the Medicare Benefits Schedule Review Taskforce, which suggested injections performed without an anaesthetist could be reclassified.

However, consultation with private hospitals, clinicians patient groups highlighted that the change would have left many patients financially worse off, particularly those currently receiving treatment in hospital settings.

"APHA strongly opposed this proposal because it would have created a situation where patients were financially penalised for accessing care in hospital," Mr Heffernan said.

"It is pleasing that the Federal Government has heard the concerns raised by patients, clinicians and the private hospital sector and acted accordingly."

Federal Minister for Health Mark Butler has also directed his department to undertake a broader review of access and affordability across specialist services, including ophthalmology.

Mr Heffernan said APHA would continue working with government to ensure policies protect patient access to essential specialist care.

"Decisions about the health system must always put patients first," he said.

-ENDS-

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4/3/2026 Time for government to do what it said it would do