Coalition dental health policy

Now that the election result is known, the likely changes to Commonwealth dental health policy will be of interest.

The Coalition Health Policy issued in August includes the following commitments.

"The Child Dental Benefits Schedule which is due to commence in January 2014 is to provide access to $1,000 in Medicare dental benefits for eligible children. From 1 July 2014 funding is due to be provided to the States under the National Partnership Agreement for Adult Public Dental Services.

The Coalition will honour the arrangements under the National Partnership Agreement for Adult Public Dental Services and will continue to work with stakeholders, patient
representatives and State and Territories to improve the scheme as necessary.

At the expiry of the National Partnership Agreement for Adult Public Dental Services, the Coalition will seek to transition respective aduIt dental services to be included under Medicare. The implementation of the Child Dental Benefits Schedule will inform the expansion of Medicare dental services more broadly for adult services, including initial eligibility requirements for patients, appropriateness of the caps for treatment and schedule fees."

More details will doubtless be provided over the coming weeks.