Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 May 2024
160. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health the steps that are being taken to address the scarcity of dentists who accept the medical card scheme which is particularly distressing and detrimental for people with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23117/24]
View answer161. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will consider introducing a refund of dental fees to medical card holders which would allow people to avail of emergency appointments locally, shorten waiting times and support better dental health for people with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23118/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 160 and 161 together.
The Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS) provides dental care, free of charge, to medical card holders aged 16 and over. Services available annually and on demand include an examination including preventative elements, two fillings, extractions, and a scale and polish. More complex care, such as dentures, and a broader range of treatments for patients with additional needs and high-risk patients, are available subject to the approval of the local HSE Principal Dental Surgeon.
The DTSS is a choice-of-dentist scheme which does not require the patient to register with a particular dentist and enables medical card holders to attend any DTSS contractor (a dentist or clinical dental technician) directly without recourse to the HSE. The DTSS is free at point of access for medical card patients, and the contractor submits a claim to the HSE for direct payment for treatment provided under the terms of the contract.
To support practitioners to provide care under the Scheme, I approved and funded a range of measures that were put in place on 1 May 2022 to introduce and reintroduce elements of preventative care and increase the fees paid to dental contractors for most treatment items by 40-60%. In 2023, 154,864 additional treatments were provided under the DTSS, with over 26,700 extra patients treated when compared with 2022.
In the longer term, the Government is committed to reforming oral healthcare services, including the DTSS, through the implementation of the National Oral Health Policy (NOHP), Smile agus Sláinte. The HSE's Strategic Reform Lead is driving policy implementation across the organisation and moving forward with developing new services for both adults and children in line with the Policy. An implementation plan for the first phase of roll-out is being developed between my Department and the HSE, for consultation and then publication in the third quarter of this year.
