Victorian Dental Budget cuts

Victorian Treasurer Pallas this afternoon announced a reduction in dental services funding from $226.4m in 2014/15 to only $207.8m for 2015/16, chiefly due to a Commonwealth funding agreement coming to an end.

With service delivery costs increasing, the budget would have needed at least a 2% increase to deliver the same outcomes next year as for this year. Depending on whether the Federal Budget delivers additional dental funding via a new National Partnership Agreement, we might see an effective reduction of 12%.

Some new capital funding has been allocated to upgrade selected dental clinic facilities, and this is most welcome.

Other areas of the Victorian Health Budget fared better, and delivered on the promise of a more family friendly set of measures.  In fact the Department of Health and Human Services has been given funding increases well above those of any other Department.

Health Minister Jill Hennessy said:

"Labor always invests in health, unlike the Liberals who cut $1 billion out of the health system and left families on their own. We are doing everything we can to fix the mess the Liberals left behind, and it starts here.”

“It’s about fairness. Everyone should have the care they need, not just the care they can afford.”