The Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS), which was introduced in 2014 replacing the Medicare Teen Dental Plan, is currently undergoing its fifth legislatively mandated review with the Minister for Health seeking ways to improve this valuable program.
Up to 30 June 2022, the CDBS has delivered more than $2.6 billion in benefits to 3.2 million Australian children aged 2-17 years whose parents satisfy the eligibility criteria.
The ADA supports the CDBS as a valuable tool for providing publicly funded healthcare to those who may not otherwise receive it, and has used it as a template for its proposed scheme for older Australians which it hopes will address systemic issues in dental care provided to this age group whom the ADA believe has been neglected in recent years.
However, with utilisation rates well below 40% there is a significant need for Government to promote the scheme more effectively, a point the ADA will be making in its submission to the review along with the need for inclusion of other treatments such as Silver Diamine Fluoride and mouthguards and in particular, eligibility to the scheme for children who need treatment under general anaesthetic.
Dentists, who are providing care to children under the CDBS are well placed to share their experiences about some of the challenges of the rules of the scheme and the ADA is encouraging them to get involved via an online link or by emailing [email protected] or phoning 02 6289 3800.
