The federal government has expanded funding to allow more Australians to claim relevant Medicare rebates for IVF and genetics, high blood pressure, chronic bowel inflammation, and breast cancer treatment from Nov. 1. Health Minister Greg Hunt said that until now, people in their in vitro fertilisation (IVF) journey who know they carry genetic diseases could only test their child if they paid privately. From November, people claim a rebate for Pre-implantation Genetic Testing (PGT) services provided within the existing IVF process. “There are 15,000 babies born with IVF in Australia every year. Almost 5 per cent of our children are IVF babies,” Hunt said. “But this [funding] means more children will now be born free of genetic conditions and for parents it’s a saving of $3,000 to $4,000 a year.” Types of genetic disorders able to be tested include, but are not limited to, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular …
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