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IVF Backdown

Wednesday, 09 September 2009 08:07 | Written by joni

Back on the 14th August we had a thread on the decision by the government to change the Medicare limit for IVF treatment, and how that decision was just wrong.

And now the government has backed down on those plans:

Ms Roxon announced yesterday that Medicare rebates for fertility treatment would be lifted by $1000 to $4000 in a move that has been welcomed by doctors and the patient group Access. The concession follows warnings from IVF specialists that patients faced a $1700 jump in fees for a typical fertility treatment cycle - a claim Ms Roxon denied.

Good news, eh? But not for those with cataracts:

Having given ground on IVF costs yesterday, the Health Minister, Nicola Roxon, now faces Senate pressure to axe another Medicare savings measure, the halving of the rebate on cataract surgery that could lift patients' out-of-pocket costs by $400.

Blame it on the testosterone...

Tuesday, 25 August 2009 10:51 | Written by Charles Tan

According to a study, women with high testosterone are less risk-averse than those who have less of the male sex hormone.

The survey also found that married folks are more risk-averse than singles.

Testosterone is known to be associated with competitiveness and dominance, reduction of fear, and with risky behaviors like gambling and alcohol use.

Perhaps an industry of regulating testosterone may be the solution to some of the social ills such as drunk driving. How about regulating testosterone levels for individuals in high-risk professions such as financial trading or professional football?

Time to meditate?

Thursday, 20 August 2009 11:39 | Written by Charles

A SMH article (republished from The Independent) exhorting the virtues of 'deep relaxation'. According to Harvard researchers, relaxation methods such as yoga and meditation are found to cause our disease-fighting genes to 'switch on' which helps kill inflammation, diseased cells and protect the body from cancer.

While we generally agree that the state of the mind can and does affect the health of the body, we are still quite clueless why this is so.

IVF Safety Net

Friday, 14 August 2009 08:22 | Written by joni

A friend of mine and his wife are currently having IVF treatment and he alerted me to a change in the safety net that occured in the last federal budget.

The budget changed the limit for IVF expenses during the financial year. When a family has more than $1111.60 in total out-of-pocket expenses they will still be entitled to 80% rebate - but if the total IVF expenses cross a (still not announced) threshold then they will not be entitled to any rebate.

At the moment, each IVF attempt costs couples around $1500 in out-of-pocket expenses.

There is a fear that the removal of the safety net will trigger a rush into the already stressed public hospitals, as women leave private pregnancy care.

As Sandra Dill from the advocacy group ACCESS Infertility network says that the changes would "mean [the] working-class will not be able to afford to have a child" using IVF.

My friend says that outside of those having IVF this decision is not known, and that the issue needs to be publicised. I agree. Terrible decision by the government.