2024-08-28
All Australians will benefit from access to dental work on Medicare, paid for by taxing big corporations that are profiting off price gouging during a cost of living crisis.
The policy - the first cost of living help to be paid for by the Greens’ Robin Hood Reforms - was announced by Adam Bandt MP today at the National Press Club. It will be one of several key policies to help people’s economic pain, paid for by taking on big corporations through the Big Corporations Tax.
With the cost of living crisis biting across the country, the Greens will use the upcoming election campaign to highlight how the Labor and Liberal parties have rigged the system in favour of the big corporations, allowing them to price gouge their way to record profits, while only offering bandaid answers that let people down.
With Labor and Liberal lacking the guts to take on the big corporations, the Greens say that change can only come by voting for it. Putting dental into Medicare, a consistently popular scheme that will make life more affordable for millions, will only come by voting for the Greens.
The policy would ensure that all Australians would be able to access high quality dental care, simply by having a Medicare card. 97% of Australians back making dental care free, according to a survey of more than 17,500 people during a recent Senate Inquiry.
When last in minority Parliament in 2010, the Greens secured dental care for kids. But despite dental costs continuing to surge, Labor and Liberal have since failed to meaningfully build on the scheme. A recent study has found that over 60% of Australians have put off dental care in the past year, with a majority saying that their decision to avoid seeing the dentist was due to cost.
With a minority Parliament expected by commentators, the Greens will be in a strong position to push Labor to put dental into Medicare and finish the job the Greens started in 2010.
Key background information on the Greens’ plan to put Dental into Medicare:
- Under the Greens plan, all items identified in the Australian Schedule of Dental Services and Glossary will be covered, ranging from cleaning, filling, to dentures and orthodontic work.
- The provision of universal access to dental services was a key recommendation of the bipartisan Select Committee on the Provision of and Access to Dental Care Services in Australia.
- 97% of the 17,544 respondents to this Senate Inquiry agree that the government should make more dental healthcare free.
- Despite promising to expand dental access to seniors in 2019, and universal dental care being in the Labor platform, the government has only retreated from these reforms.
- Independently costed by the PBO, the policy would cost $46b over the forward estimates.
Speech extract from Adam Bandt MP’s National Press Club Address:
Today I also announce our policy to bring dental into Medicare and expand access to dental care to all.
When the Greens were in balance of power in 2010, we provided free dental care for children. As a result, more than 43 million services have been provided to more than three million children.
Now, as we head towards another shared power Parliament, the Greens want to finish the job and get dental into Medicare for everyone.
If you have a Medicare card, you should be able to go to the dentist - just like you can go to the doctor - and use your Medicare card.
It’s critical that we expand Medicare so it covers everything, for everyone - and that includes your mouth.
As anyone who’s ever had a tooth ache knows, dental care isn't optional. It’s ridiculous that this doesn’t already exist.
We know that over 60% of Australians have delayed dental care in the last year, and the most common reason was cost, at 63%. That’s a 12% increase since the last survey.
That delay seeking treatment impacts people’s lives - another national survey found almost a quarter avoid certain foods due to dental problems, and a third of people said they felt uncomfortable about their appearance because of their dental health.
It doesn’t have to be like this. We expect that putting dental into Medicare could save someone going for a simple check-up, clean, and an x-ray, up to $182 on a single visit.
For someone getting more complex procedures on multiple teeth, they could easily save hundreds or thousands from ensuring we put dental into Medicare.
Those savings add up. We estimate that for two pensioners, they could benefit by up to $1,800 in the first year, and up to $20,000 over a decade.
For a family of two adults and two children, we think the savings could be even higher, at up to $2,600 in the first year, and up to $29,000 over a decade.
This would be meaningful change that would make a difference to people’s lives.
I would like to acknowledge the work of our Health Spokesperson, Jordon Steele-John, and his team for leading a comprehensive Senate inquiry into how to get dental into Medicare and for working with experts in the field to develop this important plan that I am releasing today.
It’s far more important that everyone in this country has access to dental care than it is that big corporations are able to make billions of dollars profits they send offshore tax free.
Labor likes to take credit for Medicare, but after 40 years, they still haven’t put the money where your mouth is by expanding Medicare to include dental care. We’re not going to stop pushing them until they do.
The Greens will make the big corporations pay tax so you can fix your teeth.
Additional comments from Senator Jordon Steele-John, Greens Health spokesperson:
“Everyone deserves to have access to good quality dental and oral healthcare, regardless of where you live, how old you are, or your bank balance,” Senator Steele-John said.
“Having your teeth shouldn’t be a luxury - but with the cost of living crisis hurting people across the country, most people are putting off necessary dental work because it’s just too expensive.
“Every month that someone delays important dental or oral healthcare, the risks grow.
“Not being able to afford a filling today may mean that you could lose a tooth tomorrow - with the resulting pain and health impacts for the rest of your life. It’s vital that people can access preventative healthcare - it isn’t only the fair and right thing to do, it saves our public health system money over the long run.
"Australian's dental and oral health system is a system in decay. Bringing dental care into Medicare is the cure."