Medibank Private making it tough for dentists

Medibank Private has recently sent out a second annual round of invitations for dentists to join its Member's Choice list.

Member's Choice dentists sign a formal agreement with Medibank Private to charge eligible fund members no more than the fund's recognised fee. Many of these recognised fees for 2000/2001 are less than Veterans Affairs fees for Year 2000. In addition, the agreed maximum fee for item 119 (bleaching home application - per arch) has been set by the fund at $10.

Richard Muller from Medibank Private's provider relations stated that the recognised fees had been set after computer analysis of the pattern of item numbers utilised by dentists.

Fees generally have increased by an average of the 1.7% National CPI increase but a commercial decision was taken to reduce by 3.3% the fees for composite resin fillings as the fund was increasing benefits on other items in association with the introduction of the health fund item numbers introduced by the funds as an addendum to the ADA sixth schedule.

Mr Muller said he realised the new recognised fees would not suit all practices and that it was regrettable that an increase of 1.7% in the recognised fees would leave dentists worse off financially in areas such as Sydney where the inflation rate was higher.