Thousands to lose free dental care under cuts that will 'hurt the most vulnerable', experts say

ABC News
December 15 2016



As many as 388,000 Australians will lose free dental care under changes announced by Health Minister Sussan Ley, experts say.   

Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association chief executive Alison Verhoeven said the 2013-14 Budget promised $391 million in 2016-17 for public dental services.

"Since then, this was reduced to about $155 million in calendar year 2016, and now it's down to less than $107 million per year," she said.

"This will result in as many as 338,000 people losing access to public dental services from next year."

She said it was "harsh and particularly heartless" the Government had seen fit to "compromise the dental health of those Australians least able to afford" proper dental care.

Ms Ley announced changes to federal funding arrangements for dental services from January 1 next year.

She said the new federal funding for adult public dental services would enable states to treat at least 370,000 additional patients.

"The Australian Government will continue to fund the states and territories to assist them to provide public dental services to adults through a National Partnership Agreement (NPA) of $320 million over this year and the next two years," she said.

The Child Dental Benefits Schedule will be modified, with the maximum benefits available to eligible children to be reduced from $1,000 to $700 over two years.

"However, eligible children who began a two-year cap period in 2016 will continue to have access to benefits up to $1,000 for that two-year period," Ms Ley said.

She said the changes to the child dental scheme better reflected patterns of use, which showed most children claimed well below the $1,000 cap.

Ms Ley said the Government made changes to the existing Child Dental Benefits Schedule to keep it sustainable.


Parents will have to pay the gap: health advocates

Ms Verhoeven said it would be up to parents to find extra money to get their children's teeth fixed.

    "For many, the only viable alternative will be not to have the dental treatment needed. How little the Government must think of these kids — or care," she said.   

The Government said it would not proceed with its proposed $2.1 billion Child and Adult Public Dental Scheme, which would have merged federal funding for child and adult dental services into one program, because some states did not support the scheme.

Opposition health spokeswoman Catherine King criticised the changes, saying waiting lists would grow across.

"Disadvantaged and vulnerable Australians will lose access to life-changing dental services as a result of [the Government's] decision to cut adult public dental services," she said.   

She said the Government's own figures showed 20 per cent of children spent more than $700 in the scheme.

"As a result of the decision today, one in five children will have to limit essential dental care," she said.

The Government also announced the Royal Flying Doctor Service will receive $11 million over two years to provide dental services to rural and remote communities.

Help, we need a dentist.   

You can get free dental care???

Where do I sign?

Aussie wrote on Nov 29^th, 2018 at 8:20pm:


Because you're considered to be a spammer. That and nobody gives a bugger what you think, pinner.

Setanta wrote on Nov 29^th, 2018 at 8:32pm:


Nah, bugger that.(Where have I hear that before?) I think Setanta is now going to log back in and block Mod as he said last time if you keep this crap up. Suck it up.

Where are the rightists telling us it was all mediscare ?

Aussie wrote on Nov 29^th, 2018 at 8:48pm:


No Idea but Cu Chullain has. Funny that, you'd think Setanta and I were the same person. Suck it up, you had your notice last weekend, you made your choice.

Aussie wrote on Nov 29^th, 2018 at 9:33pm:


What was the choice Aussie? Do you remember?