NAPWA

In order to deliver its much vaunted budget surplus, the Gillard government is gambling on clinching parliamentary support to shut down the existing medicare-funded dental scheme. The program has blown out from $377 million to $1.9 billion in four years.

Labor will hold talks with the Greens over the next two months to design a new national dental scheme, but does not intend to fund a replacement until the 2013-14 budget. That could leave a gap of up to a year in which there may be no Medicare funding for dental services, shunting some people who now qualify for the Chronic Disease Dental Scheme onto the public dental waiting list.

It is unclear whether the Greens would help Labor axe the Medicare scheme if there is a lengthy wait for a replacement, given the minor party ultimately wants universal dental care. But Greens dental spokesman Richard di Natale hailed May’s budget dental boost — which was a condition of Greens support for Labor to form government in 2010.

Anyone living with HIV who hasn’t updated their 2012 care plan with their GP is encouraged to do so to take advantage of the scheme while it lasts.