On 28 October 2009 the Senate passed a motion to disallow MBS items 42698, 42701, 42702 and 42718 relating to cataract surgery, from the Health Insurance (General Medical Services Table) Regulations 2009 . This effectively meant there would have been no Medicare rebates available for those services from 1 November 2009. On 29 October 2009, the Minister for Health and Ageing the Hon Nicola Roxon MP, signed a Determination, in accordance with section 3C of the Health Insurance Act 1973 reinstating those items. As such, rebates will be available from 1 November 2009 at the following rates:
Item | Health service | Schedule Fee | 75% rebate | 85% rebate |
| 42698 | Lens extraction, excluding surgery performed to correct a refractive error, other than anisometropia that exceeds 3 dioptres and develops after the removal of cataract in the first eye (Anaes.) | $350.95 | $263.25 | $298.35 |
| 42701 | Artificial lens, insertion of, excluding surgery performed to correct a refractive error, other than anisometropia that exceeds 3 dioptres and develops after the removal of cataract in the first eye (Anaes.) | $206.75 | $155.10 | $175.75 |
| 42702 | Lens extraction and insertion of artificial lens, excluding surgery performed to correct a refractive error, other than anisometropia that exceeds 3 dioptres and develops after the removal of cataract in the first eye (Anaes.) | $454.35 | $340.80 | $386.20 |
| 42718 | Complex lens extraction and insertion of artificial lens, with a surgical procedure time of 40 minutes or more, excluding surgery performed for the correction of refractive error (other than anisometropia greater than 3 dioptres following the removal of cataract in the first eye) (Anaes.) | $900.75 | $675.60 | $831.65 |