Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) have been promised faster access to cardiac ablation surgery, after the Federal Government moved to require private health funds to cover the procedure for the first time.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt announced that cardiac ablation catheter devices would be listed on the Government’s Prostheses List. That means private health insurers are required to provide cover for cardiac ablation procedures.

The announcement comes after charity Hearts4Heart released a White Paper entitled “Time to Change the Beat” in 2017, which warned that thousands of Australians with private health insurance were being forced to join long public surgery waiting lists for catheter ablation procedures, because they were not covered by private health funds.

The White Paper urged the government to add the procedure to the Prostheses List to enable patients to be treated using private health cover.