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Do medical card holders know they're entitled to 2 free fillings every CALENDAR year?

  • 20-04-2011 1:12am
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 909 ✭✭✭


    Just thought I'd pop up a post as up until yesterday I had been told by every single dentist I asked (and not just in the town I live in) that if you've had two fillings done you can only get another filling (or two) a minimum of 12 months from the date of having the last filling done. And that if you needed more you'd have to pay. This is incorrect. I was in touch with a section of the HSE called the PCRS (Primary Care Reimbursements - the folks who pay the dentists for working on med card patients) and they said you are entitled to 2 free fillings every calendar year, from Jan 1st to Dec 31st. They said the rules were finally finalised last November or thereabouts. However you are only entitled to one checkup 12 months from the time of your last checkup, that isn't per calendar year.

    So, if you've had two fillings done in say Nov 2010, you don't have to wait until Nov 2011 to have another one or two done, you can have them done in Jan 2011 or when ever you need them. I'm sure people have been paying when they didn't need to...........

    Seems to be huge confusion out there especially among dentists themselves. I live in Co.Cork and phoned dentists in Cork - and even Dublin - and many didn't know that it was per calendar year. So, just imagine all those with med cards who have been paying dentists when they didn't need to? If I was one I'd be annoyed as hell and would want reimbursement. Luckily I didn't pay. I needed work done but went to a dental hospital where I got it done at a fraction of the price (still in the middle of treatment actually) Anyway, just wanted to let folks know. I guess this State Benefits section is the correct section as this relates to medical cards.


Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 114 ✭✭quiz


    apart from the two fillings what other dental work does the medical card cover?


    I was playing 5 a side with some friends and i got an elbow which resulted in two chipped teeth. It was a complete accident and the lad who did it is just as broke as I am and I have been waiting on my medical card application for a good few weeks now. When it comes in can I get this fixed and have the medical card scheme cover the cost?

    Thanks.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 909 ✭✭✭marti8


    quiz wrote: »
    apart from the two fillings what other dental work does the medical card cover?


    I was playing 5 a side with some friends and i got an elbow which resulted in two chipped teeth. It was a complete accident and the lad who did it is just as broke as I am and I have been waiting on my medical card application for a good few weeks now. When it comes in can I get this fixed and have the medical card scheme cover the cost?

    Thanks.

    They'll also cover unlimited extractions and a check up once a year (that's once every 12 months, not per calendar year) When your med card comes through you'd need to contact a dentist and request that they apply to the local HSE dental section to get authorisation for any work they'd need to do on your front teeth, as far as I know you should be covered but I could be wrong. But as it's your frontteeth I think they'll (the HSE) cover it.

    If not maybe you could try a dental hospital, I'm not sure whether they do work like that, perhaps post-grad students do, n ot too sure and not too sure how much it would cost but you could ask at least - maybe if it's pricey enough (even if done at a dental hospital) they may have a payment plan but again not too sure about that - no harm in asking them though.

    I think something like what you're describing could literally cost thousands to repair - as far as I know, if you could get some moula together you could try to get it done abroad (Ukraine for example) for much less even when you factor in cheapish flights and budget hotels. But of course if you don't have much money at all then you're stuck and you'll just have to hope the HSE will authorise treatment. But when your med card comes through get straight onto your dentist (or any dentist that accepts med card patients and enquire, in fact you should probably do that now)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,451 ✭✭✭Delancey


    Recent changes to the medical card dental scheme have rendered it almost worthless save for emergency ( pain relief situations ).
    In the case described of 2 chippped teeth the Medical Card will most definitely NOT cover the treatment.


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