Fed: Government won t cut Medicare cover for IVF treatment

AAP General News (Australia)
08-03-2000
Fed: Government won t cut Medicare cover for IVF treatment

CANBERRA, Aug 3 AAP - Prime Minister John Howard today ruled out cutting Medicare cover
for IVF programs for single women and gay couples.

The Commonwealth plans to amend the federal Sex Discrimination Act to allow state laws
to prevent women without male partners from seeking IVF treatment.

It follows a court decision last week which found it was against federal discrimination
laws to bar single women from using IVF clinics.

But axing Medicare cover for the treatment was not an option for the government because
it discriminated on the basis of wealth, Mr Howard said.

"One of the reasons why we don't think that is desirable is that would open up discrimination
between poorer women and better off women," he told ABC Radio.

"Some people would still be able to afford to do it, wouldn't they?

"What you're really saying by raising that is what we should do is create a situation
where people who need Medicare to avail themselves of this procedure, they can be denied
it but those who can afford the procedure because they are better off, it's okay for them
to have it.

"I don't think that's a very sound principle at all, I think it is quite wrong."

AAP eg/mk

KEYWORD: IVF HOWARD (CARRIED EARLIER)

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