MEDICARE DENTAL ITEMS
The Medicare dental items for people with chronic conditions and complex care needs are being withdrawn to make way for the Government’s new Commonwealth Dental Health Program. Information about how the items are being phased out will be mailed to GPs next week.
Patients already receiving treatment under the chronic care dental items will be able to receive benefits for dental services provided up to and including 30 June 2008. Access to this scheme for new patients will cease from 30 March 2008. GPs are encouraged not to refer patients for dental services if they will be unable to commence treatment by 30 March 2008.
The Government advises that it is working with the States/Territories to fund up to one million additional services to address public dental waiting lists. Patients with chronic disease who would have qualified for the old scheme will be given priority under the new scheme.
PROHIBITED PATHOLOGY AND DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING PRACTICES
The AMA met last week with the Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) to discuss the Health Insurance Amendment (Inappropriate and Prohibited Practices and Other Measures) Act 2007. This legislation came into effect on 1 March 2008 and deals with inappropriate inducements to refer to these services.
Permitted Benefits
DoHA advised that the Ministerial Determinations with respect to permitted benefits had been finalised and published.
DoHA has addressed a number of issues raised by the AMA and other groups, although the AMA highlighted that the list of goods used for pathology collection and storage is still too restrictive. Links to the Ministerial Determinations are below:
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/health-pathology-legamendpathdi.htm/$File/Path%20Determination.pdf
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/health-pathology-legamendpathdi.htm/$File/DI%20Determination.pdf
Market Value
DoHA has not finalised a determination on how market value should be determined and does not expect to do so until the end of April. DoHA did indicate that it had heard the AMA’s concerns with the proposed definition of market value and will work to address these.
VETERAN’S MATES
The thirteenth module for the Veteran’s MATES project, developed by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, and dealing with aspirin and clopidogrel in cardiovascular disease was released in November 2007. Selected materials from Module 13 are available from the DVA website at http://www.dva.gov.au/health/veteransmates/index.htm