Dental benefit is provided to insured workers through a panel of dentists who enter into agreements with my Department to provide treatments under the scheme on a contract basis and at fees specified in the agreements. Under these arrangements and with limited exceptions, treatments are provided to patients either free of charge or at a reduced fee and my Department pays the balance of the cost directly to the dentist at the agreed rates.
My Department had not been accepting claims during the dispute from dentists who were applying increased patient charges in breach of their contracts. Patients were advised to check that their dentist was continuing to operate within his-her contract with the Department and in cases where this was not so, they were advised to use the Department's lo-call service to get details of dentists adhering to the agreed fees for treatments.
Patients were also advised that the Department would not be in a position to refund any costs arising from treatment provided to them as private patients.
Patients who received treatment from dentists who were not at the time participating in the scheme did so outside the scope of the dental benefit scheme and they are not entitled to any benefit under the scheme in respect of such treatments.