PRSI query

Tsaic

Hi all! Just looking for some clarification on a couple of issues.

Last week I went for a check up and was told that my PRSI would cover it which meant that it would cost €40 instead of the usual €80. I accepted this at the time, but have heard that it should have been completely free, is that true? I didn't get a cleaning but got an X-ray and was charged €65 in total even though I was covered, does this seem correct?

I didn't receive any cleaning at all. I was told to return next week for that and it will cost €80. Should this have been done during the initial check up?

Plek Trum

As far as I know, PRSI covers one dental examination a year (once you meet the qualifying criteria). This amount is set at 33euro. So the practice you went to have essentially deducted 40euro off their normal examination fee for you?

Tsaic

Plek Trum wrote: »

As far as I know, PRSI covers one dental examination a year (once you meet the qualifying criteria). This amount is set at 33euro. So the practice you went to have essentially deducted 40euro off their normal examination fee for you?

Yeah that's what it looks like. Is it correct that I paid €65? I didn't get any cleaning done. Should the x-ray have been included in the free check up? 65 seems a lot for something that should have been covered by prsi, especially since no cleaning was done.

Rose35

I had an exam and xray done free last year, they said it was covered by my prsi, now my dentists charges are very reasonable, your dentists charges sound excessive for an exam even if they did deduct what prsi were covering. Cleaning is not covered by prsi.

lexa

Did you sign the Department of Social Protection form for dental benefit?This entitles you to a free examination. Most dentists include x-rays in this and don't charge extra. If you're examination was covered by the Department of Social Protection the dentist is not allowed to charge any extra fee for this. Are you sure that the dentist did not do anything other than the exam? Even if the dentist charged for x-rays (most don't), €65 would be expensive for intra-oral x-rays. Maybe give your dentist a call and ask what exactly you were charged for.

Tsaic

Thanks for all the replys. I filled out the form before going in. I was told that since I was covered then it would be €40 instead of the usual €80, but because I had an x-ray it would be €65.

It was literally just a 10 minute examination including an x-ray. I wanted to query what exactly I was charged for but wanted to see if this appeared to be standard practice. I was told that the €40 was the decreased price, I didn't know they weren't allowed charge extra.

lexa

I'd query it with them because if all they did was an exam and took x-rays as part of the exam, they shouldn't have charged you anything (intra-oral xrays are supposed to be included).They are not allowed to charge an additional fee for the examination on top of what the Department of Social Protection Pay. A reduced rate from 80 to 40 would only be OK if this was including the cleaning, which you said they didn't do. Maybe the person on reception thought you had a cleaning and charged you for this in error.

Tsaic

lexa wrote: »

I'd query it with them because if all they did was an exam and took x-rays as part of the exam, they shouldn't have charged you anything (intra-oral xrays are supposed to be included).They are not allowed to charge an additional fee for the examination on top of what the Department of Social Protection Pay. A reduced rate from 80 to 40 would only be OK if this was including the cleaning, which you said they didn't do. Maybe the person on reception thought you had a cleaning and charged you for this in error.

I just rang them there and they said the €65 was just for the x-ray and that this is the price most dentists will charge and that x-rays are not included in the check up anywhere.

lexa

The Department of Social Protection website states "The fee for examination includes any necessary intra-oral radiographs". So unless it's not the standard x-ray they took, they shouldn't have charged you. What type of x-ray did they take?

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Schemes/DentalOpticalAndHearingBenefits/Pages/dental_sof.aspx

Oral Surgeon

Tsaic wrote: »

I just rang them there and they said the €65 was just for the x-ray and that this is the price most dentists will charge and that x-rays are not included in the check up anywhere.

Was it a panoramic xray (opg/opt)?? It's a full xray of the whole mouth. You stand into the machine and it moves around your head as the xray is taken....

Tsaic

Oral Surgeon wrote: »

Tsaic wrote: »

I just rang them there and they said the €65 was just for the x-ray and that this is the price most dentists will charge and that x-rays are not included in the check up anywhere.

Was it a panoramic xray (opg/opt)?? It's a full xray of the whole mouth. You stand into the machine and it moves around your head as the xray is taken....

Hi, yes it was that. It was of the whole mouth.

Tsaic

lexa wrote: »

The Department of Social Protection website states "The fee for examination includes any necessary intra-oral radiographs". So unless it's not the standard x-ray they took, they shouldn't have charged you. What type of x-ray did they take?

http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Schemes/DentalOpticalAndHearingBenefits/Pages/dental_sof.aspx

Thanks for that. I think it was the type mentioned by oral surgeon.