6th June 2008
Media Release
Public denture scheme faces crisis
The Australian Dental Prosthetists Association (Victoria) has warned Government that unless it honours its promise, made by the Hon John Thwaites on 6th August 2001, to match fees paid under the Victorian Denture Scheme to at least the Department of Veteran Affairs rate, withdrawal of all services to public dental health patients may be inevitable.
At present the average rate for a full set of dentures is $1,600. The State Government pays Dental Prosthetists only $950 or $650 less.
The Commonwealth Department of Veteran Affairs pays $1,465 for a full set.
This fee has been the acceptable rate in all states of Australia (except Victoria and South Australia) as payment for public health patients.
Although this figure is about $100 short of the average, the fee is acknowledged as a discounted amount for public patients (mainly all of whom are in receipt of a pension).
It is estimated that Dental Prosthetists treat about 10,000 public patients each year. The current rebate of $950 means that they are effectively donating $650 for each patient to the oral health of this State.
Dental Prosthetists in Victoria are committed to low income Victorians accessing dentures and have carried on performing these services even though parity of fees between the State and Commonwealth Governments has continued to grow further apart.
But now “enough is enough”.
There is a growing feeling amongst the membership that the State Government is exploiting this goodwill.
The Association has being wanting to meet with the Minister for Heath but it keeps being “fobbed” off to the Minister’s adviser and health bureaucrats. It has now been told that the department is preparing a paper for the Minister.
The lack of action by the Government and its broken promises has added further fuel to this issue.
Protest action is being seriously considered. Ninety (90%) of members have agreed to either a total or partial withdrawal of services to Public patients throughout Victoria. In Gippsland members have already withdrawn services.
The inability of Government to respond to a committed oral health profession is intolerable and belittling.
Contact:
Mr John Patone
Chief Executive Officer
Australian Dental Prosthetists Association (Victoria)
Telephone 9852 9969
Mobile 0407 742 420
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