Primary Care Programme

Medicare Enhanced Primary Care Scheme

Overview
Under the Medicare chronic disease dental scheme, Medicare benefits are available for most services provided by a dentist in private dental surgeries.

To receive a Medicare benefit for dental services, you will first need to meet certain eligibility criteria and be referred by your GP to a us, your dentist.

Which patients are eligible for dental services under the Medicare chronic disease dental scheme?
To be eligible, you must have a chronic medical condition and complex care needs and your oral health must be impacting on, or likely to impact on, your general health.

A chronic medical condition is one that has been or is likely to be present for at least six months. It may include, but is not limited to, conditions such as asthma, cancer, cardiovascular illness, diabetes mellitus, arthritis, mental illness, musculoskeletal conditions and stroke, also many of the Medications that you may take for such aliments can also affect your oral health. Over recent years much research has been done linking oral health to systemic health problems.

Once you have been referred by your GP to a us, you will be able to access dental services up to the value of $4250.00. The $4250.00 is valid for use for two consecutive years.

What dental services will the Medicare chronic disease dental scheme cover?
A comprehensive range of dental services are covered, including dental assessments, preventive services, extractions, fillings, restorative work and dentures. The primary purpose of the dental treatment must be to improve oral health or function.

I think I'm eligible what do I do now?
If you think that you may be eligible for the EPC programme we recommend that you give us a call and come in for a brief screening consultation. At that appointment our dentists will take a through medical history and complete an oral examination to get an idea of your current oral health status and to see if you medical conditions are impacting on your oral health. As dentists we are trained to recognise the effects of decreased salivary function caused by medications, or periodontal disease possibly exacerbated by diabetes. By liaising with your GP our clinical findings, we can assist you in accessing the EPC scheme, but most importantly allows us to be apart of your health care team, making sure your getting the best health care possible. After you receive your referral from your GP, all you have to do is give us a call and make an appointment where we can finalise your treatment plan and start treatment.

For more information, please contact Blossom Burwood Dental Care, by calling (02) 9744 8886 or Blossom Ashfield Dental Care, by calling (02) 9716 7228 or click here to contact us online.