Article excerpt:

EVERY Australian would have dental bills subsidised by the Federal Government in a $3.6 billion Denticare scheme.

The Government's health reform commission, however, says it should be paid for by increasing the Medicare levy by 0.75 per cent. The scheme would cost an average earner on $60,000 a year an extra $450 a year.

That would cover dental check-ups, scaling and cleaning teeth, fillings and provision of dentures.The reform commission says it is inexcusable our health system does not subsidise basic dental health services and one in three adults avoids the dentist because of the cost.

Article summary:

The Denticare scheme would not roll dental services into Medicare, but instead give people the choice of using a private health insurance plan, subsidised by the Government to cover their dental costs, or rely on public dental services which also would be funded by the Government.

Under the reforms, Denticare would pay the health fund premiums for a universal package of basic dental services, while those whose insurance covers non-basic dental services would pay a top-up for the extra cover.

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