Albanese government backbenchers among those pushing to add dental to Medicare despite the health minister saying it’s not a priority
The Albanese government is being urged to at least map out a path to finally add dental to Medicare as the federal election approaches.The Albanese government is being urged to at least map out a path to finally add dental to Medicare as the federal election approaches.Half-a-century after it was left out of Gough Whitlam’s original Medibank scheme, dental care remains a hole in Australia’s public health insurance system.
Labor backbenchers are among the advocates pushing the case despite the health minister, Mark Butler, confirming it is not a government priority.“I think Labor needs to commit to doing a thorough investigation of it and how we would introduce it,” Mike Freelander, a Labor MP and paediatrician, told Guardian Australia.
The staged model has the backing of Dr Carmen Lawrence, who was health minister under Paul Keating when the commonwealth implemented a dental scheme targeted at disadvantaged adults. The ADA wants the federal government to instead roll out a targeted program for vulnerable groups, similar to the child dental benefits scheme, starting with over-65s and then expanding to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations and low-income earners.
“I have no illusions about the expense or the difficulty, but it’s time to commit to starting a process,” Mitchell said.
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