Dental benefit claims by dentists on your behalf

MrThrifty

Anyone know if it's possible to see what PRSI benefits a dentist has claimed on your behalf? We've all heard in the news in the past about dentists claiming benefits for dead people etc. but it seems there's still very little checking done. Surely we're entitled to know what's been claimed in our name, especially if we never received the benefit?

GerardKeating

MrThrifty wrote: »

Anyone know if it's possible to see what PRSI benefits a dentist has claimed on your behalf? We've all heard in the news in the past about dentists claiming benefits for dead people etc. but it seems there's still very little checking done. Surely we're entitled to know what's been claimed in our name, especially if we never received the benefit?

You could do a FoI request ?

MrThrifty

Seems a bit OTT but I might actually do this -> will let ye know what happens... Should be interesting I thinks!

davo10

Thrifty you can contact Dept of social welfare or HSE, give your PPS number and ask for treatments done.

The claim that dentists were claiming for dead patients was a slick bit of misinformation put out by Government at time PRSI dental scheme was withdrawn before Christmas.

Patients who had approval/elegibility checked before Jan 1st could begin treatment before March 31 and have it finished before June 31, those who did not had to pay private fees after Jan 1st. A few dentists emailed their whole data base to Dept of Social Welfare to confirm eligibility prior to Jan 1st so ALL their patients could continue to obtain treatment benefit in the new year , they did not and could not send forms in for payment so did not gain financially.Also people do not generally inform dental clinics when relatives pass away so I could be sending six monthly recalls to deceased patients.

The Government gave 3 weeks notice of scheme ending and one of these was Christmas week, approx 200 of my pateints came to my surgery to sign forms prior to January 1st out of 3000, I wish I had thought of getting approval for them all as they would have been able to avail of lower dental costs and would have gotten something in return for their monthly PRSI contributions which are now just another tax.

In short, dentists did not claim treatment on dead patients and Mary Hanafin the Minister at the time had to clarify and apologise about that inference afterwards, you can verify your treatment payment records by the method outlined above.

Hope this helps

MrThrifty

Apologies Davo if I offended any dentists! Did what you suggested and it turns out that only a checkup under the new scheme was claimed on my behalf. It's a long story but I booked an appointment with the dentist in question at Christmas and was told at the time that any treatment work in Jan 2010 would be covered under the 2009 scheme, but was then told after getting the work done that my application was still being processed. I had to pay in full for the checkup and the later work done at the time. I suspect the dental practise in question was simply late getting the application in at Christmas. A bit annoying though that they didn't tell me this before doing the work! Incidentally, I have not received the 10 euro refund for the original checkup this year. I'm sure all these 10 euros add up! Anyway, I'll just deduct it from what I owe them next time.

davo10

MrT, no offence taken, I'm glad your mind has been put at rest. I'll explain what happenned to you as it often happens to my patients as well; when a PRSI patient comes in for treatment my receptionist rings dept of SW to see if patient is covered for benefit, they tell us yes,no or send for approval. This last one means we have to send a form with patient's details to dept of SW and they check the number of contributions paid by employer to see if patient eligible, sometimes the employer is late with payments in contributions, has not paid correct amount etc and the patient is deemed not approved for treatment. While waiting on the decision from the dept of SW, the dentist charges the patient privately and then most will refund once approval is recieved.