Consumers Health Forum of Australia (CHF) welcomes the Australian Government's decision today to maintain the status-quo for General Use Items on the Prescribed List, calling it a win for consumers and common sense.
"CHF has been advocating for years now that any change to the Prescribed List could not see consumers being left worse off by having to pay more in out-of-pocket costs," said CHF CEO Dr Elizabeth Deveny.
While debate was taking place on the future of the Prescribed List, CHF heard from consumers that they wanted peace of mind and certainty that they would still be able to access the care they needed without the cost increasing.
"We are very pleased that the government today is delivering consumers both certainty and peace of mind," said Dr Deveny.
It is important to note that General Use Items make up a tiny cost of procedures undertaken at private hospitals. The whole Prescribed List only contributes 14% of private health insurance costs.
