Bulk-billed (no out of pocket) dental care for eligible children aged 2 – 17 years old
CDBS
The Child Dental Benefits Schedule, or CDBS, is an Australian Government initiative that was introduced to make dental care accessible to families who are on Medicare or receive other government benefits.
It provides benefits for general dental services to children aged between two and seventeen. An estimated 3.4 million children across the country meet the eligibility criteria and will be able to access the benefits each year.
How does it work?
The total dental benefit is capped at $1,095 per child over two years and in order to access the benefits, certain eligibility criteria need to be met. If the full amount is not spent in the first year, it is carried over into the second year. Any funds not used by the end of the second year are forfeited.
If your child is eligible, there is no waiting period and you can make an appointment immediately. It is important to find out whether the dentist that you choose does accept CDBS when you make the appointment. Of course, we do at Kawana Dental, and we choose to bulk bill so generally there is no out of pocket expense.
Before beginning any work, your dentist will take time to inform you of the costs of any treatment so that you can spend your allowance effectively. As mentioned, we choose to bulk bill dental expenses, though some practices require that you make up-front payment and claim back from the scheme.
What treatments are included?
The Child Dental Benefit Scheme covers a range of basic dental services including routine checks, fillings, fissure sealing, x-rays, root canal treatments and extractions. The government has provided itemised codes for the treatments that are covered by the CDBS here.
It’s important to note that services classified as ‘high-end’ are not covered by the CDBS. This includes orthodontic or surgical work and cosmetic dental work. Additionally, dental services provided in a hospital operating theatre will not be covered.
Am I eligible?
Every calendar year the eligibility of a child is determined and the funded benefits are made available for two calendar years. A child becomes eligible to receive the benefits if they are between two and seventeen years old for at least one day of the calendar year.
In addition, they should meet the requirements, be eligible for Medicare and be part of a family that receives:
- Family Tax Benefit Part A
- Special Benefit
- Youth Allowance
- Double Orphan Pension
- Parenting Payment
- ABSTUDY
- Disability Support Pension
- Parenting Payment
- Veteran’s Children Education Scheme (if the child is 16 or over)
- Carer Payment
- Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act Education and Training Scheme (if the child is 16 or over).
If your child is eligible, your family’s details will need to be up to date with Medicare and Centrelink in order to use their CDBS benefits.
What are my options at Kawana Dental?
At Kawana Dental we opt to bulk-bill treatments which means that there is no out-of-pocket expense for families with eligible children.
We will sit with your family to develop a detailed treatment plan including the costs in order to allocate the allowance effectively. We will also communicate if there are additional costs before beginning any work.