Wide gap in teeth blamed on private rebates

Mark Metherell
January 12, 2009

THE Federal Government, which has stalled on plans to introduce a dental scheme for the disadvantaged, faces calls to abolish rebates that go to patients with private health insurance.

The Public Health Association has demanded the Government redirect $400 million that is now paid in rebates to people with ancillary health insurance for private dentistry.

In a submission to the Government's Preventative Health Taskforce, the association says the 30 per cent rebate on insurance for dental care "mainly benefits middle- and high-income Australians".

"This should be abolished and the funding redirected to oral health services for Australians on low incomes."

Low-income Australians receive no direct federal funding for dental care, the association says.

Yesterday its chief executive, Michael Moore, told the Herald that widespread inequities made dental service a pressing priority for the Government.

The Health Minister, Nicola Roxon, has delayed the reintroduction of a national dental scheme for the disadvantaged because the Coalition refused in the Senate to dump the dental Medicare scheme, which the previous government had introduced just before the election.

Dental Medicare, which provides up to $4250 in private dentistry for those whose dental problems exacerbate a separate medical condition, has grown in popularity this year.

Ms Roxon has said the continuation of the Medicare program means $290 million over three years will have to be withdrawn from the new Commonwealth dental health program.

If the Medicare service continued, she would have to reduce spending on the federal program, she said, and NSW patients would lose about 327,200 services valued at more than $90 million.

Ms Roxon has argued that the Medicare scheme is poorly targeted because patients must have a chronic medical illness to qualify for the benefits.

Mr Moore said he had proposed a compromise to senators in an effort to end the impasse. Under his plan, dental Medicare would continue, but in a more tightly controlled way.

He said one procedure that had gobbled up funding was the provision of expensive, but not medically necessary, crowns for patients who had received root canal treatment.

"The stand-off means thousands of people who cannot afford dental care are not getting what Labor promised, and this has been a debacle."

In its submission to the Preventative Health Taskforce, the association lists 12 features of oral health care in Australia. It says poor oral health is most common among indigenous people, refugees and elderly Australians.

Dental services are mainly financed - about 85 per cent - by private funding, even though dental admissions are the highest cause of acute preventable hospital admissions among children.

It has been estimated that about 500,000 Australians are in urgent need of dental treatment but do not get it because of cost.