Frequently asked questions
What is universal health coverage?
Universal health coverage (UHC) means that all people have access to the full range of quality health services they need, when and where they need them, without financial hardship. It should covers the full continuum of essential health services, including prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care.
Does universal health coverage mean free dental care?
No. UHC has three dimensions – breadth (the extent of the population covered), depth (the share of costs covered by governments) and scope (the range of treatments or services covered). As we see currently with Medicare, all Australians are covered, most (but not all) medical treatment is included, and the government subsidises some (but not all) of the cost - unless a doctor agrees to bulk bill. It is anticipated that any dental scheme would likely require an out-of-pocket co-payment from patients.
Why doesn’t Medicare cover the cost of my dental visit?
When Medicare was first proposed, there was a plan to include dental care, but for a range of reasons that didn’t happen. As a consequence, responsibility for public dental care fell to the state and territory governments. We now have the Child Dental Benefits Schedule which allows about 50% of children to access subsidised dental treatment in public and private dental clinics. Beyond that, Medicare does not cover any dental treatment for adults.
Why is dental treatment expensive?
Unlike other areas of health that receive significant government support, most people have to pay for the cost of dental treatment out of their own pocket. And whilst private health insurance helps to defray some costs and some people receive a rebate to assist with their health insurance premiums, the cost of this health insurance continues to increase.
How will including dentistry in Medicare help?
The basic premise of universal health coverage is that all people are treated equally. Including dentistry in Medicare means that just like going to the doctor, a trip to the dentist should allow people to tap their Medicare care.
Will it cover everyone?
Right now, about 40-50% of children have access to the Child Dental Benefits Scheme. Expanding this to cover the whole population will take some time, and there will be a need to grow the dental workforce to cope with the additional demand. It is likely that any expansion of Medicare to include dental services would have to be staged - for example starting with an Adult Dental Benefits Scheme for all adults with a government concession card, and then increasing the coverage from there.