Deborah Cole, Dental Health Services, Victoria - Delivering Affordable Dental Health
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Delivering affordable dental care Dr. Deborah Cole Chief Executive Officer Dental Health Services Victoria
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Dr. Deborah Cole, CEO, Dental Health Services, Victoria delivered this presentation at the 15th Annual Health Congress 2014. This event brings together thought leaders and leading practitioners from across the Australian health system to consider the challenges, implications and future directions for health reform. For more information, please visit http://www.informa.com.au/annualhealthcongress14
Transcript of Deborah Cole, Dental Health Services, Victoria - Delivering Affordable Dental Health
Delivering affordable dental care
Dr. Deborah Cole Chief Executive Officer
Dental Health Services Victoria
Current situation
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Here you can see a snapshot of oral health in Australia and internationally. The major diseases in oral health are dental caries (decay) and periodontal (gum disease), and they are largely preventable. The first message for delivering affordable dental health is to prevent dental disease. Most dental disease is provided in the private sector (about 90%). 30% of the Australian population are eligible for public dental care (health care and pension card) but very few access it. Often the care is less than optimal as they attend for relief of pain only. People from low socio-economic backgrounds, refugee and asylum seekers, people living in rural communities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, aged people, and people with mental health issues have more difficulty accessing services.
• State funding • Commonwealth funding = growth
• National Partnership Agreement - $84.5 million to reduce waiting times and improve access – is it working?
• Child Dental Benefits Scheme – expand eligibility for children aged 2 to 17
Public sector opportunities
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Public sector now funded by the Commonwealth, in addition to state funding, which has given rise to a period of unprecedented funding and opportunity NPA – Victoria has an additional $84.5 million to treat an additional 110,000 patients from Feb 2013 to March 2015 So far we are seeing very positive results with a real increase for disadvantaged communities. Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) commenced 1 January 2014 Federal Govt reform to expand eligibility to 2 to 17 year old recipients of Family Tax Benefit A Capped amount of $1k over 2 years Replaces Medicare Teen Dental Program
15% increase in children
27% increase in Aboriginal Victorians
50,000 additional patients treated
almost double no. of refugees & asylum seekers
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Stats as at December 2013 for Victoria 50,000 additional patients have been treated Priority-access patients have been successfully targeted: 27% increase in Aboriginal Victorians 15% increase in children Almost double the number of refugee and asylum seekers
General waiting list 18 to 14 months
Non-priority denture waiting list 17.6 to 11.1 months
9% increase in total FTE across the State
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Waiting lists have decreased for Victoria … The average general wait list is down to 14 months, a drop of 4 months Non-priority denture wait list has declined 6.5 months to 11.1 months More dentists, therapists, hygienists and assistants … Since June 2013, total FTE has increased by 32.5 or 9% across the state
Looking forward
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Presentation Notes
• 2 in 5 Australians avoid or delay dental treatment due to cost
• People without concession cards falling through the cracks
• Appeal of dental tourism
• Need new ways to encourage people to access dental services
• Focus on treating more people not doing more treatment on the same people
Making a difference
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Commonwealth funding results are great but we still have a long way to go 2 in 5 Australians avoid or delay dental treatment due to cost Significant out-of-pocket expenses. Recent increases are due to cosmetic dentistry, not treating people with disease. Dental treatment is a huge financial burden for Australians. There is a group that sits just above the eligibility line, they do not have healthcare or concession cards but are battling to afford dental treatment for themselves and their families. People are flying overseas to access cheaper dental treatment. Need new ways to encourage people to access dental services in Australia. Needs to focus on treating more people not doing more treatment on the same people.
• Financing models
• Workforce models need to change
• Preventive models of care
• Population health initiatives – fluoride
• Evaluation of programs
Making it more affordable
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Funding models drive behavior – fees for service model will result in a tendency to overservice. The workforce is predominantly dentists now. We need to use Dental Assistants, Oral Health Therapists, and Prosthetists to deliver low cost service (and pass on the savings to consumers). Options to be offered to people to choose low cost preventive care (without the cosmetic services) Programs need to be evaluated and refined.
Thank you
