BENEFIT CUTS:CUTS IN dental and optical benefits for people who make PRSI contributions have been strongly criticised by medical professionals.
The benefit schemes, administered by the Department of Social and Family Affairs, are being restricted in 2010 to cover dental examinations and eyesight tests only. The change is being made to save €54 million.
The move has been sharply criticised by the Irish Dental Association, which represents about 1,400 dentists. Its chief executive Fintan Hourihan said up to now the dental scheme also subsidised the cost of a scale and polish, fillings and other dental work, but in future it would cover a check-up only.
He said 400,000 people availed of the scheme last year at a cost of €69 million, but this amount was now being drastically cut.
He said the cuts to this scheme, in addition to the Department of Health’s decision to cap spending on dental treatment under the medical card scheme at 2008 levels, would result in job losses in dentistry as well as waiting lists for dental treatment for the first time among medical card holders.
With many more people holding medical cards now than in 2008, he expected funding for the scheme to run out midway through next year, resulting in people having to join waiting lists.
In addition, he said, there was speculation that “discretionary items” such as dentures under the medical card dental treatment scheme would be excluded entirely in order to make the money provided for the scheme in 2010 go further.
Some €63 million is being set aside for the medical card dental treatment services scheme next year – some €30 million less than would be provided in normal circumstances.
About 200,000 people avail of the optical scheme each year. Up to now, in addition to the cost of sight tests, it covered the full cost of some spectacles or part of the cost of others, replacement lenses for existing frames and part of the costs of contact lenses if medically required.
The Association of Optometrists said it had serious concerns about the position of older and retired persons who will now have to pay for their spectacles. It also believes the change may lead to more serious road accidents as a result of drivers getting behind the wheel without the correct glasses.