Patients Win as Govt Flips on IVI Change

This means patients currently receiving these injections in private hospitals can continue to make private health insurance claims for the procedures.

In addition, all patients receiving IVI services will continue to access MBS rebates, regardless of whether they have their injections in or out of hospital. And the Federal Government said this will remain the case, regardless of the private health insurance procedure type.

we will no longer be proceed with the change so people can continue with their existing arrangements with their existing clinician and won’t see an increase in their out-of-pocket costs

A Win for MDFA

The long-awaited decisions follows extensive lobbying by Macular Disease Foundation Australia (MDFA), which stated that had the changes come in, as planned on 1 July 2026, more than 12,200 people would have been affected.

MDFA feared that these patients would have faced higher out-of-pocket costs for out of hospital IVI services, as their private health insurance would no longer have covered part of the costs. As a result, MDFA said, patients may have discontinued injection treatments, increasing their risk of blindness.
Over 400 community members wrote to the government to support MDFA’s campaign.
In a statement, the Federal Government said it had made the decision having “listened to feedback from patients” and “undertaken extensive consultation”.

“Eye injections are regularly needed for people with macular degeneration,” said The Hon Mark Butler, Minister for Health and Ageing.

“I heard from many older Australians that these changes would have meant higher out-of-pocket costs and that’s why I initially paused the change.

“After reviewing and listening to the views of older Australians, we will no longer be proceed with the change so people can continue with their existing arrangements with their existing clinician and won’t see an increase in their out-of-pocket costs.”