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Child Dental Benefits Schedule threatened with axing by government

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Australian Dental Association
Australian Dental Association
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14 March 2016
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1 minute read
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  • Dental practice
  • Advocacy

Despite delivering 9.7 million services to disadvantaged children in just its first two years, the CDBS is under threat with the government threatening it with closure in the May budget.

Since its launch in January 2014, the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS) has had a significant impact on the oral health of Australia's children, providing over 9.7 million services in just over its first two years of operation (January 2014-December 2015). 
 
However, all this good work is threatened by its expected termination in this year's budget.  
 
The Federal Health Minister Sussan Ley openly questioned the CDBS model at a meeting with the ADA recently, indicating she believed that funding could be better allocated elsewhere. Her assessment was backed by the Prime Minster, Malcolm Turnbull who had this to say in Parliament: 

“As honourable members are also aware, the Child Dental Benefits Schedule is nowhere near meeting its target, with only around 30 per cent of eligible children accessing the scheme … We are working on dental reform and as part of that it is only natural that the Government considers the effectiveness of current program …”  
 

The government’s negative assessment of the CDBS appears to have been driven in part by an unexpectedly low take-up rate for the scheme. To date, approximately only 30% of the 3.4 million children eligible to be treated under the CDBS have received treatment; this, however, can largely be attributed to the fact that neither the Abbott or Turnbull Governments have actively promoted the scheme, with the department charged with oversight of the scheme admitting that more effective promotion was needed.  
 
The recently released Report on the Third Review of the Dental Benefits Act 2008 also stated that it “was of the view that this may reflect an unrealistic original target, rather than significant underutilization.” 
 
In response to the government’s expected decision to wind up the CDBS, with no firm replacement on offer other than a vague suggestion that the funding could go to the States, the ADA has launched a widespread campaign to have this critically important scheme retained.