XN000022-1995-07-05 — Page 84

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Given the very wide range of charges for different types of dental services which include check-up, tooth extraction and filling, full and partial dentures, scaling and root canal treatment, etc., the actual amount reimbursed can vary enormously between individual cases. Prior to April 1994, reimbursement records were kept manually amounting to over 80,000 individual case files in 1992/93 and over 95,000 in 1993/94. It would be very difficult and time-consuming to analyse all these manually kept records to identify the minimum and the maximum amount of reimbursement made in those years.

Since April 1994, records of reimbursement have been kept in the computerised Social Security Payment System. According to computerised records, the minimum amount reimbursed in 1994/95 was $20 for a simple case involving a check-up only, whereas the maximum amount was $13,380 for an exceptional case involving major crown and bridge work for 12 teeth (treatment which took place over a period of about 2 months). In about 95% of all cases, the reimbursement was below $5000 and only about 2% of all CSSA recipients made any claim at all for dental treatment in 1994/95.

The average waiting time for receiving dental treatment is eight working days from the date of request for a dental appointment. The waiting time for receiving reimbursement of charges for dental services is nine working days from the date of submission of the cost estimate to the Social Welfare Department (SWD). In emergencies, dental services and reimbursement of charges can be provided within one or two working days.

According to a fee survey of private dentists operating in housing estates conducted by the Estate Dental Group of the Hong Kong Dental Association in January 1995, private dentists charge higher fees than non-profit-making dental clinics. There is, however, no data available to enable a comparison of the relative cost-effectiveness of the two sectors.

At present, 21 non-profit-making registered dental clinics are designated to provide dental services for CSSA clients who are also free to use any registered private dentist, provided that the cost charged by the private dentist is not more than that charged by the designated clinics. The aim of our public dental care policy is to provide promotive and preventive services, while leaving the provision of curative dental services largely to the non-governmental sector. As the current provision of dental services for CSSA clients by the non-governmental sector is working reasonably well, we see no need to consider taking it over.

End/Wednesday, July 5, 1995