MEDICARE DENTAL SCHEME

Thank you for calling Family Dental Care about the Medicare dental scheme. The scheme is aimed to help people with long-term medical illnesses, where poor dental health may be part of their problem. Medicare has strict rules that we must follow when accepting patients. There are financial penalties for not obeying the rules.

• The referral from the doctor must have the correct name of the dentist or dental practice.
• We must complete a full examination including X-rays and models (if necessary).
• From this we must make a detailed report to the doctor.
• We must also make a report to the patient describing the suggested treatment and any costs.

WHAT HAPPENS AT THE FIRST CONSULTATION

To comply with Medicare, we examine your teeth, gums, and skin.

We usually take 3-5 X-rays to look for any hidden decay or gum disease (bone loss). Sometimes we take models of your teeth. Based on the findings, we will discuss what you want to achieve with your dental health, and how we can help you.

Most treatment at following appointments will be bulk-billed e.g. fillings, extractions, root canal therapies, and dentures. Crowns and bridges are not bulk-billed, and will be separately quoted.

The results of the consultation will be typed up and posted out within 4 weeks. As required, reports are sent to the referring doctor and the patient. The patient also receives an Itemised Plan which will clearly show the treatment that is bulk-billed, and any which is not bulk-billed.

Only after the doctor and the patient have been provided with reports

can appointments be made for treatment to begin.

THE COST OF THE FIRST CONSULTATION

To cover the costs for this initial consultation, examination, X-rays, models, and reporting, we require a payment of $235. This is not bulk-billed, so there will be some personal expense after the Medicare rebate.

We ask that full payment be made at the beginning of the consultation. At the end, the receptionist will issue an itemised receipt that can be taken to Medicare to collect the rebate. The rebate is usually $95 to $175, depending upon the number of X-rays or models.

Please ring us make an appointment for the consultation, or if there is anything further you wish to discuss.

We look forward to helping you,

Yours faithfully,

Introductory letter for Medicare CDM

Caring for the dental health of the Macarthur community