LOUISE MARKUS CALLS ON GOVERNMENT NOT TO CLOSE CHRONIC DISEASE DENTAL SCHEME
18-August-2011
The Labor Government will deprive many Macquarie residents access to much needed Dental Care if they go through with their plan to abolish the Chronic Disease Dental Scheme by December this year.
Louise Markus MP, Federal Member for Macquarie, rose in Parliament this week to call on the government to reconsider closing down this vital service which local dentists and residents alike agree has had a positive effect on local health.
“To close this scheme would have a disastrous health impact,” Louise Markus told the parliament. “The Chronic Disease Dental Scheme has been very beneficial. It has aided many Australians to access dental care in a timely fashion.”
Louise Markus has spoken to several patients and dentists about what effect closing this scheme would have on the local community. Neville McIntosh from Bligh Park is one such patient who has been receiving treatment under the Chronic Disease Dental Scheme. Mr McIntosh was concerned about his future care when he heard the program was being cut.
“I had finally found a dentist I was happy with and then I received a letter in the mail saying the program would be cut,” Mr McIntosh said.
“I am concerned. I am not finished my course of treatment and I don’t know what will happen when the date for the scheme passes. They have just left me in the lurch.”
Neville McIntosh spoke highly of the Chronic Disease Dental Scheme saying that it had made managing his dental challenges a lot easier.
“It got me off the waiting lists and helped my treatment get started. I feel that it should remain available to anybody who is under Primary Care. This should be covered and should not be curtailed by this Labor government.
“If Labor wants to muck around with this scheme people need to be made aware because it shows how far out of touch the Labor government is.”
Dr Max King is a dentist who practices in Katoomba, in his expert opinion it would be unwise for the Labor Government to remove this scheme.
“It’s opened the door to help a lot of people,” Dr King said. “It’s been wonderful, the scheme has been a real break through for members in our society who otherwise would not be able to receive this assistance.
“Bad teeth are terrifyingly bad for your health. There is no point putting a $100,000 pacemaker or a prosthetic heart valve into a person and leaving them with bad teeth. It would undo all of the work. Bacteria and other diseases in your teeth and gums can spread through your entire body and cause serious damage.”
The Coalition Government Introduced the Chronic Disease Dental Scheme in 2007, since then it has helped provide over thirteen million services to over half a million Australians in need. The scheme provided $4250 worth of dental assistance to patients who are diagnosed with a chronic illness, whose dental condition is exacerbating that illness and who are under a General Practitioner care plan.
“The need of this scheme cannot be disputed,” Louise Markus said “In its first year 400,235 services were preformed in New South Wales. In the 2010/2011 financial year this had surged over 700 per cent to 2,859,175.”
“This popular scheme is being shut down by a Labor Government desperate to recover some of the billions they have wasted in their suite of mismanaged policies.”
“The Coalition appreciates the health benefits that this scheme offers to the Macquarie electorate, we have offered to work with the government to improve this existing health program and would not be closing it down if we were in Government,” Louise Markus concluded.