Fighting for dental scheme’s future

Federal Member for Maranoa Bruce Scott has taken a stand against the Labor Government’s closure of the Medicare Chronic Disease Dental Scheme (CDDS) by sharing harrowing stories from constituents battling chronic pain and tooth decay.
“These are actual examples of constituents who have very real concerns, as the government has no plans until 2014,” Mr Scott said.
“The CDDS has worked well for many years but it will be cut by the government in an attempt for a factitious budget surplus.”
In a confronting address to Parliament this week, Mr Scott outlined a constituent’s ordeal as the Federal Government tries to pull the CDDS, a scheme, where 80 per cent of patients are concession card holders.
“I have a 49-year-old constituent who is a disability pensioner currently suffering from abscesses, bleeding of the gums and is in serious pain,” Mr Scott said.
“His local GP told him the CDDS was cancelled in early September this year and nothing would be available to him until 2014. This is unacceptable.”
Mr Scott said he also received an email from another constituent imploring the government not to abandon the CDDS.
“This constituent is 65 and was diagnosed with diabetes 15 years ago, with complications of tooth decay and gum disease,” he said.
“During recent years, with the support of his doctor and dentist, he received considerable help under the CDDS.
“In his email, the constituent said he was shocked to learn of the pending scheme’s closure and he asked me to support the retention of the CDDS.
“He ends his email by saying, ‘Thank you for listening’. I can assure the House I am listening to my constituents.
“The Coalition is listening to the broad range of people out there who have gained considerable health benefits by being able to access the Medicare-funded CDDS that this government wants to scrap, with no plans to put anything in place until 2014.”