Child Dental Benefits Schedule in Melbourne

The Government has placed some limits on the number of dental services which can be provided to individual patients. Your Dentist will be able to advise you as to whether these limits will affect you.

No, patients with private health insurance are unable to claim benefits from both their health fund and the Child Dental Benefits Schedule for the same treatment.

The Child Dental Benefits Schedule is only available for treatment completed outside of a hospital.

Yes, private health insurance can be used for additional treatment not covered by Child Dental Benefits Schedule.

Yes, patients can use their full benefits within the first year of eligibility if required. If this is the case, additional benefits will not be made available in the following year. If this is the case, and the child is first eligible for benefits in 2020 would then need to wait until 2022 before they can access a new $1,000 depending on eligibility.

The benefits can only be used by the eligible patient. Benefits cannot be shared amongst family members.

At the time of booking you will be informed as to whether the dentist you are booking with is bulk billing for this service or will require you to pay on the day and then claim back eligible benefits from Medicare. Benefits for some services may have restrictions under the Child Dental Benefits Schedule. In addition, CDBS covers only a limited range of services.

You will need to personally meet the costs of any services not covered by the Child Dental Benefits Schedule. You will be provided with an estimate of any charges including out of pocket expenses prior to treatment occurring.

Dentists can elect to bulk bill for eligible services under the Child Dental Benefits Schedule. For patients seeing these Dentists, they will not pay out of pocket costs for these services, subject to sufficient funds being available under the Child Dental Benefits Schedule benefit cap. Prior to treatment commencing you will be informed of the likely cost of this bulk billed treatment and any other out of pocket costs.

The Child Dental Benefits Schedule covers a limited range of services and benefits for some services may have restrictions. You will need to personally meet the costs of any services not covered by the Child Dental Benefits Schedule. The cost of services will reduce the available benefit cap and you will need to personally meet the costs of any additional services once benefits are exhausted.

Patients will be eligible for the scheme throughout the entire calendar year, however they must be eligible for Medicare on the day of service.

Eligible families will receive written notification from the Australian Government either in the form of a letter or electronically. The Government will routinely check throughout the year to determine newly eligible children. Your dentist will check eligibility before the commencement of any treatment or you can call your Dentist to check prior to making an appointment.

All you need to do now is contact us to book an appointment.

Eligibility is determined each calendar year, so patients who were eligible in the previous year may not be eligible this year if their personal situation has changed. To check if your child is still eligible, contact us to check.

Dentists may request that patients pay in full on the day of treatment and claim back eligible benefits from Medicare. Prior to any treatment occurring you will be informed of the treatment that will be provided on this day under the Child Dental Benefits Schedule, the likely cost of this treatment, including any out-of-pocket costs and the billing and payment arrangements for the services.

The $1,000 benefit is available for the full 2 calendar years, so remaining benefits will be carried over to the second year for future use.

If the full $1,000 is not used within the two-calendar year period, remaining benefits cannot be used in the future.

If your child is turning 2 or 18 throughout the year they will still be eligible that year, for the full year, for the Child Dental Benefits Schedule. Children need only be between 2 and 17 at some point throughout the entire year.

Patients will need to pay the balance for any treatment over $1,000. It is best to talk to the Dentist to understand if this may occur.

Your children will still be eligible for the Child Dental Benefits Schedule even if Government payments cease throughout the year, as you only need to be receiving benefits at some point throughout the year. The child will just need to be eligible for Medicare on the day of service.

Dental services covered by the Child Dental Benefits Schedule include

• Dental check-ups
• Teeth cleaning
• X-rays
• Fillings
• Fissure seals
• Extractions
• Root canal treatment
• Partial dentures

High end dental services such as Orthodontics or Cosmetic Dentistry are not included.

Patients have $1,000 to use on dental treatment over a two year period. The 2 year period commences at the start of the calendar year, not from the first appointment date. The two year period starts from the calendar year in which the patient first receives an eligible dental service under CDBS.

To be eligible a child must be:

• Aged between 2 and 17 years for at least 1 day of the calendar year AND
• Eligible for Medicare AND
• For at least 1 day of the calendar year:

The child’s parent, carer, or guardian receives any of the below

• Family Tax Benefit Part A
• Parenting payment
• Double Orphan Pension

The child receives any of the below:

• Family Tax Benefit Part A
• Abstudy
• Carer Payment
• Disability Support Pension
• Parenting Payment
  Special Benefit
• Youth Allowance
• Financial assistance under the Veterans’ Children Education Scheme (VCES) and cannot be included as a dependent child for the purposes of Family Tax Benefit because they are 16 years or older or
• Financial assistance under the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act Education and Training Scheme (MRCAETS) and cannot be included as a dependent child for the purposes of Family Tax Benefit because they are 16 years or older

Teenager’s partner receives any of the below:

• Family Tax Benefit Part A or
• Parenting payment

The Government will check throughout the year to determine newly eligible children however most families will be advised at the start of each year.

Yes, Dentists will be able to check patient eligibility by contacting Department of Human Services.

Yes, Dentists will be able to check patients remaining benefits balance by contacting the Department of Human Services. Dentists will be encouraged to check each patient’s balance at each appointment.