asked the Minister for Social Welfare the way in which he proposes to extend the benefits of the scheme for dental treatment of spouses of insured workers to people in Wexford who cannot avail of it at present.
Written Answers. - Dental Treatment Scheme.
86.
As the Deputy is aware, no dentists in County Wexford have yet signed the new agreement in respect of the extended social insurance dental benefit scheme, which provides for the treatment of the dependent spouses of insured persons.
The extension of the social insurance treatment benefit scheme to the dependent spouses of insured persons was introduced in October 1987. The extension enabled dependent spouses, mainly wives working in the home, to obtain dental, optical and aural benefits on the basis of their spouse's PRSI contributions.
There was considerable demand for this extension and an analysis of dental claims from dependent spouses in the meantime shows that their initial treatment needs are significantly greater than those who had already been covered by the scheme. It is clear that many spouses had neglected their dental health previously because they could not afford the private fees.
The Irish Dental Association opposed the extension and as a result many dentists were dissuaded from signing the new agreement covering the extended scheme. No dentist in Wexford has yet signed. Notwithstanding the embargo, however, 179 dentists countrywide signed the new agreement and some 95 per cent of these are actively treating dependent spouses. A total of 31,500 dental claims in respect of dependent spouses have been received up to 12 December 1988.
The most significant proposal in the report of the Joint Irish Dental Association/Department of Social Welfare Working Group, was the proposal of the Irish Dental Association concerning the introduction into the scheme, of a form of means testing on the basis of the Health Acts criteria. This is not appropriate in the context of a contributory insurance based scheme. The report also shows that over 62 per cent of those covered under my Department's scheme have incomes which come within the guidelines laid down for qualification for a medical card.
Unfortunately, the central barriers against reaching agreement between the Department and the Irish Dental Association have turned out to be the level of fees paid to the dentists under the whole scheme and the apparent opposition on the part of the Irish Dental Association to the existence at all of such a broadly based scheme for workers and their dependent spouses under the PRSI system.
However, independently of the proposals made in the report, the Irish Dental Association have recently submitted a claim for a fee increase under the existing scheme to cover inflation since 1987. This claim is at present being examined in the Department. It is hoped that agreement on the overall issue may emerge in the context of discussions regarding this claim for a fee increase and this is being pursued. I expect to meet the representatives of the Irish Dental Association shortly.
It is realised that the continuing embargo by the Irish Dental Association is causing inconvenience to some dependent spouses, those in County Wexford in particular, who are living a distance from participating dentists. In order to minimise this inconvenience, the Minister arranged from the outset for the Department to supply the names of their nearest participating dentists to dependent spouses who wish to claim dental benefit. Dependent spouses can obtain these names by contacting their local social welfare office or by telephoning the Department. These arrangements have been in effect from the start and are operating well.