The Dental Board of Australia is concerned about growing reports of dental practitioners encouraging patients to access superannuation to fund dental care.
At Super for Health , we acknowledge that when providing support to patients in the application process for accessing Super for your patients Dental Treatment, having an experienced Dental team with a clear understanding of clinical note taking, how to dialogue to patients when providing options for paying for treatment, is extremely important . The Dental Board of Australia is concerned about growing reports of dental practitioners encouraging patients to access superannuation to fund dental care. Patients may apply for early release of superannuation on compassionate grounds if they meet certain eligibility criteria. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) manages that application process and the rules around the release of superannuation.
According to Australian Tax Office statistics, the amount approved for early release for dental treatment was $313.4m in the 2022/23 financial year, up from $171.3m in the preceding financial year. This is an 83 per cent increase in just 12 months.
Over the past five years, the value of superannuation withdrawn for dental treatments nationally has jumped by 373 per cent.
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) has received a small number of notifications in relation to dental patients accessing their superannuation to pay for dental treatments but Dental Board of Australia chair, Dr Murray Thomas, explained the number of complaints may be lagging behind the rapid rise in people accessing their retirement savings for treatment.
The dramatic increase in the number of people getting early access to superannuation has only occurred in the past two years so we are not yet seeing an increase in notifications and The Dental Board is concerned by this sudden rise and sees this as an emerging issue that may lead to more complaints in the near future.
‘The Board is acting now to address this issue to try to reduce the number of potential complaints by reminding practitioners that good dental practice involves upholding the right of patients to gain access to necessary levels of healthcare while ensuring the services provided are necessary, appropriate, and likely to benefit the patient.’
While registered dentists provide reports supporting the release of superannuation for compassionate grounds, they must comply with the Board’s Code of conduct which expects them to provide honest and accurate information to the Australian Tax Office.
Providing misleading information to support a patient’s request to draw from superannuation is potentially grounds for the Board to consider disciplinary action, in addition to any action that the ATO may deem necessary. At Super for Health, we are very aware of the code of conduct and ensuring accurate information is being conveyed to the patient in the treatment process. It is our mission to ensure we provide assistance to our Dental professionals on this matter and comply to the Dental Boards recommendations. By calling any of our Client Managers, we will endeavour to support you in this process.
Dr Murray Thomas , Chairman of the Dental Board said the Board urges dental practitioners to ensure they comply with the advertising requirements under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, as in force in each state and territory, and the Board’s Guidelines for advertising a regulated health service, when promoting that patients apply for compassionate release of superannuation.