Dental Benefits Bill before Parliament

The Dental Benefits Bill 2008 has been introduced to the Commonwealth Parliament to deliver on the ALP promise to establish a new Commonwealth Dental Health Program and the Teen Dental Program.

According to the Explanatory Memorandum, the Dental Benefits Bill:
• establishes an entitlement to dental benefits;
• provides for the payment of dental benefits;
• provides a framework for the issuing of vouchers (for example, in respect of teenagers who are eligible for the Teen Dental Plan);
• establishes provisions for the protection (and, where authorised, the disclosure) of protected information;
• creates general offence provisions relating to assignment of benefit agreements and the giving of false or misleading information;
• allows the Minister for Health and Ageing to make Dental Benefits Rules under the Bill (through a legislative instrument); and
• provides for funds relating to the payment of dental benefits to be appropriated through a new special appropriation.

$5.1 billion spent on dental services - ABS

The Australian Bureau of Statistics today released a snapshot of the health expenditure of Australian households.
Based mainly on data from the 2003-04 Australian Bureau of Statistics Household Expenditure Survey and the 2004-05 ABS National Health Survey, the snapshot focuses on medical care and health costs.
Of the $5.1 billion spent on dental services in 2004-05, 67% was paid by individuals. Private health insurance funds contributed about 14%.
Households spent an average of $14 a week on health practitioners’ fees, mainly for dental treatment (40%) and specialist doctor’s fees (30%). Fees for general practitioners accounted for 11% of health practitioners’ fees reflecting the higher level of government subsidisation of GP services.
Health expenditure in 2004-05 was $81 billion – 9% of GDP. State and Federal Governments funded the majority (68%) of health spending. Individual out-of-pocket payments accounted for just over half (53%) of the remaining $26.2 billion non-government sector funding.
Australian households spent $46, on average, on medical care and health expenses. This was about 5% of an average household’s expenditure on goods and services each week. The main items contributing to the household’s overall medical care and health expenditure were accident and health insurance (averaging 39%), health practitioners’ fees (31%) and medicines, pharmaceutical products and therapeutic appliances (25%).

Two new faces on Council

Dr Vinitha Soosaipillai and Dr Robert de Poi have filled the two vacancies on the Branch Council.
They were elected unopposed, filling the vacancies created following the retirements of long-serving Councillors Dr Pamela Craig and Dr David Houghton.

Dr Soosaipillai is Senior Dentist at the Doutta Galla Community Health Service in Niddrie. She has been a member of ADAVB since 2001, the same year she became a committee member of the Victorian Women Dentists’ Association. Dr Soosaipillai is a demonstrator at the Dental School as well as being a dental examiner for the National Survey on Adult Oral Health.

Dr de Poi has a periodontal practice in Moonee Ponds. He is an Honorary Fellow at the University of Melbourne School of Dental Science and is a part-time clinical instructor in the Graduate Periodontics Program. Dr de Poi is a member of the Policy Advisory Committee of the Professional Provident Fund. He is also a member of a number of professional associations and societies.

Minister opens new ADAVB Office

On Friday 23 May, Minister for Health, Hon Daniel Andrews MP officiated at a ceremony to celebrate the ADAVB's relocation to new premises at 3/10 Yarra St South Yarra.

Guests included Ms Janet Laverick, Director of Primary Care at the Department of Human Services, Ms Natalie Savin, Chairperson of the DHSV Board and Mr Felix Pintado, CEO of DHSV.

Numerous other friends and associates of the ADAVB were also in attendance.

Pictured here is Branch President, Dr Mark Bowman (left), being congratulated by Minister Andrews following the unveiling of the commemorative plaque.

Government fails to deliver on dental health

The Australian Dental Association has welcomed Federal funds for dental care to needy Australians but believes that the new Commonwealth Dental Health Plan and the Teen Dental Plan should have been better linked. ADA Inc. issued a media release on last night’s Federal Budget.

ADAVB response to State Budget

In a Media Release issued today on behalf of the Branch, Dr Mark Bowman, President claimed that the Budget had only increased spending on dental services by a mere 1%.

"With inflation running at 4% this means that Victorians needing public dental treatment will continue to wait many months - even years", he said.

"With only 20 percent of eligible people targeted for treatment, this means that people will be on a five-year cycle for access to dental care. Over three-quarters of those eligible will not see any dental treatment this year. At least $300 million is needed to provide basic dental care for all public dental patients in Victoria", Dr Bowman claimed.