Senate committee reports on Medicare dental scheme

The Senate Community Affairs Committee Inquiry into the Health Insurance Amendment (Medicare Dental Services) Bill 2007 has now published its report, and while supporting the legislation, they noted concerns expressed by the ADA that it was inappropriate for the limited funds available to be used for treating people who could afford care rather than being used for disadvantaged Australians.

A copy of the ADA Inc. submission to the Inquiry can be accessed in the Submissions section of the members' only area of the ADA Inc. website (www.ada.org.au).

A minority report was provided by the ALP members of the committee.

The committee's recommendations on the Bill were as follows:

"1.39 That, while noting the Department's acceptance of the need for information and education of dentists, a formal education program targeting dentists be established, including information about the working of the new Medicare rebates relating to dentistry.
1.40 That early monitoring and evaluation of the scheme be undertaken to ascertain who is accessing the rebates and for what conditions, and ascertain if the criterion that a 'patient's oral health must be impacting on, or likely to impact on, their general health' is well understood and consistently applied. Monitoring and evaluation should cover both the immediate recipients of Medicare dental services and the broader population level.
1.41 That the Senate pass the Health Insurance Amendment (Medicare Dental Services) Bill 2007. "