HIGH EARNERS paying full PRSI will benefit from some free dental and optical treatment after April 6th. And in a move designed to help women returning to the workforce dependent spouses will retain the benefit until they are covered by their own contributions.
The Department of Social Welfare said last night the changes, briefly referred to in Budget documents, will cost around £350,000 in a full year.
Until now, anyone earning over £35,000 a year was not entitled to any optical or dental benefit for their PRSI contributions. Their dependent spouses, however, could claim the benefits, so long as the earner's salary remained below £70,000.
Under the scheme, dental patients only pay small, fixed amounts for fillings, extractions and x rays. For other routine procedures, such as pin retained fillings, root canal treatment and crowns, the Department pays a set amount - not enough to cover the cost - and the patient must settle the rest with the dentist.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Social Welfare said last night that while there had been a dispute some years ago with dentists who did not want to participate in the scheme, this had been resolved. All dentists in the State now operate the scheme, she added.
For optical benefit, the benefit covers the eye examination and the price of a cheap pair of spectacles. For better frames and lenses, as well - as contact lenses, the Department will make only a contribution.
Also from April, dependent spouses who enter the workforce will remain covered by the benefit until they have built up enough contributions - which can be up to five years.
The Government estimates that an average of 4,000 dependent spouses enter to the workforce each year, and that the change will cost £200,000.
The 260 week waiting period will remain, however. This means, for example, that many returned emigrants over 25 years, must wait this time, regardless of how much they contribute.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/VR3765MFOBH2NMV2QNICYDF67M.png)