Australian Prime Minister Reveals Plans for $5 Billion Dental Scheme for Children
Australia’s Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, has revealed plans for a new dental scheme that will cost $5 billion and promises to ensure that every child in the country has access to dental care.
Mr Turnbull confirmed that the existing scheme will be scrapped because it has not proved to be as effective as the Labor government promised. Adult programmes will also be revised as part of a shake-up designed to provide better standards of care to more people throughout the country.
Health minister Sussan Ley announced the launch of a new children’s dental scheme last weekend and outlined plans to bring dental care to 10 million citizens across Australia. Under the new scheme, more than five million children and almost five million adults on low incomes will benefit. Just over $2 billion will be given to states and territories to patch holes in provision using private dental services.
The plans have been criticised by both Labor and the Australian Dental Association. The opposition party claims that fewer children will benefit from the new scheme and laments the decision to scrap what they call a “well-targeted scheme”.
Rick Olive, from the Australian Dental Association, accused the government of trying to cover budget savings and fob the general public off with ‘smoke and mirrors’. The ADA slammed reductions of $200 million per year and called for a review of services for children. Statistics show that more and more children in Australia suffer from preventable decay. In Tasmania, tooth decay is the most common cause of childhood hospital admissions. Just days ago, Andrew Wilkie, Tasmanian MP, urged the government to continue funding dental services.
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