Public Dental Fees Policy

Introduction

Fees for public dental services apply to:

• Victorians with a Pensioner Concession Card or Health Care Card, and their dependants, aged 18 and over.
• Victorian preschoolers and children aged 5 to 13, who are not dependants of a health care cardholder.

Fees schedule

Pensioner Concession Card and Health Care Card holders and their dependants aged 18 and over:

• $23 per visit up to a maximum amount of $92 for a completed course of care
• Up to $115 for a full acrylic denture
• $23 for emergency dental care
• Fees for specialist services are a percentage of the Department of Veterans Affairs Dental Items Schedule and are dependant on the treatment required.

Preschoolers and children aged 5 to 13, who are not dependants of a Pensioner Concession of Health Care cardholder:

• $28 per child for a completed course of care. Fees per family will not exceed $112

Fees exemption

Exemptions from fees for public dental services apply to the following groups:

• Those experiencing financial hardship
• Children and young people up to 18 years of age in residential care provided by the Office for Children
• Youth aged 14 to 18 who are health care card holders or dependants of a health care card holder
• Registered clients of mental health and disability services, supported by a letter of recommendation from their case manager or staff of special developmental schools
• Those receiving care from undergraduate students
• Those participating in special initiatives that might be approved by the government (eg. people receiving care in globally-funded special needs services; people receiving care through supported travel arrangements).

An appropriately credentialed member of staff should undertake assessment of clients in financial hardship. Inability to pay fees cannot be used as a basis for refusing a dental service to eligible persons. Assessment should consider a person’s overall capacity to pay, any other costs they already incur for health services, and whether they are receiving all financial assistance available to them (for example, rent assistance, carer’s allowance).

Download policy

Public Dental Fees Policy (21kb, pdf)

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