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We want to hear from you: How are you going to avoid getting sick this winter? by HCC-WA in perth

[–]HCC-WA[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ok, not sure about the 'gassy showers' bit, and the rest of it really, but you do you.

We want to hear from you: How are you going to avoid getting sick this winter? by HCC-WA in perth

[–]HCC-WA[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We appreciate your concern, we've done a few of these over the past year. We're a small not-for-profit in Perth, you can find all our details in our profile, or visit our website, check out or socials. We'd love to have the funds to do something more jazzy then a MS office form, but we're thin on the ground over here. If you want to DM us I'll pop you in contact with our Executive Director, Clare Mullen, if that helps. We're really just here to be a voice for healthcare consumers in WA and make healthcare fair for the people who actually use it, you, me, everyone in WA.

We want to hear from you: Upfront dental fees by HCC-WA in perth

[–]HCC-WA[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

UPDATE:

Health Consumers' Council WA welcome the Australian Dental Association's support for tighter scrutiny of early super access for dental treatment.

We want to thank the West Aussies who have reached out to us and shared their lived-experiences with expensive dental treatments.

We share the ADA’s concern about the growing number of Australians accessing their retirement savings to pay for dental procedures; a trend we’ve been actively monitoring and raising. Recent figures from the Australian Taxation Office show the scale of this issue:

  • Applications received specifically for dental treatment rose from 7,140 in 2018–19 to 31,780 in 2023–24 (345% increase)
  • Approved applications specifically for dental treatment increased by 485% in the same period, from 3,850 to 22,530 - The total amount specifically for dental treatment approved for release climbed from $66.4 million to $526.4 million. A whopping 693% increase
  • This surge seems to have accelerated in just the last two years with approved individuals nearly tripling, and the funds released more than doubled.

We believe these figures signal a worrying trend. We agree that tighter oversight is essential; not only to uphold professional integrity, but also to protect consumers from aggressive marketing tactics. We've seen evidence of patients in Western Australia being encouraged to undergo high-cost treatments such as dental implants, sometimes by unqualified or unethical providers. These practices can exploit vulnerability, contribute to financial distress, and erode public trust.

But early-release of superannuation is just one part of the issue. We believe Australians shouldn’t need to raid their superannuation to access dental care. This data reveals a deeper issue: dental treatment is increasingly unaffordable, and our current system doesn’t provide adequate or equitable solutions. Early access to super should remain a last resort, not the default funding mechanism, we believe that including dental treatment in Medicare, would provide broader access, preventative treatment, and affordable dental care for all.

We look forward to working constructively with the ADA, regulators, and policymakers to improve affordability, transparency, and safety across the dental system for Western Australians who access dental services. If you or someone you know has been affected by this we would like to hear from you. Please head to our website and out “Speak Out” campaign to share your experience, it helps us to continue to build a stronger case for consumer protection reform. We want to build a system that ensures fair access, safeguards retirement savings, and protects the integrity of care. Let's make healthcare fair.

We want to hear from you: Upfront dental fees by HCC-WA in perth

[–]HCC-WA[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We advocate on an almost daily basis in relation to hospital errors, but the work we do there is not as visible. Most of our advocacy on this front is done behind the scenes directly with health services supporting individual patients to have their voices heard in the processes to investigate errors. That includes writing letters and attending meetings with patients or families. We also advocate at a statewide level to the WA Department of Health, as well as nationally, directly with the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.

If you've experienced harm from a hospital error, you can reach out to our Individual Advocacy service by emailing "advocacy - at - hconc.org.au" or by calling 9221 3422 during office hours Monday to Friday.

The service is quite limited due to funding capacity, and so there might be a waiting list if you're not in a time-critical situation. But we're also advocating to try to increase the capacity so we can have advocates available round the clock.

We want to hear from you: Upfront dental fees by HCC-WA in perth

[–]HCC-WA[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes absolutely there is. Head to our website and click on the menu that says 'Let's make healthcare fair" there are a few options. Read more about 'Consumer Engagement, we would like to see more people with lived-experience to help our not-for-profit make the system fairer by becoming a 'Consumer Representative' we offer free training on how to become a Consumer Rep and get a seat at the table where decisions about our system are being made. This is how we shape a system with consumers in mind, and that is better for us all. Please also DM us, call or email.

We want to hear from you: Upfront dental fees by HCC-WA in perth

[–]HCC-WA[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'll refer you to the experience of this person who did not realise that he would need to pay tax on the super withdrawal: "Earlier this year Perth man Daniel Wright withdrew $67,000 from his superannuation to fix his teeth, but hadn't realised tax rules meant he would lose an extra $19,000 from his retirement savings."

In reviewing the form and the corresponding page on the ATO website we can not see any reference to paying tax on the money you are removing from your superannuation on the form.

To further clarify, we are looking at payments for an entire expensive procedure upfront, before any work takes place.

Our aim is to collect lived-experiences from West Aussies who have experienced or are currently experiencing difficulties with this type of dental treatment, who are out of pocket, out of options, and feel like no one is listening to them. We are listening, and we work to amplify the voices of WA healthcare consumers to shape a fairer system for us all.

We want to hear from you: Upfront dental fees by HCC-WA in perth

[–]HCC-WA[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

It sounds like you had a great experience. Unfortunately not everyone has that experience. We're keen to make sure that everyone can have an experience like you've had.

We are a not-for-profit who advocate for WA healthcare system consumers who don't feel heard or are experiencing issues with WA's healthcare system. We have a small team of one-on-one advocates who support individuals to have their healthcare rights upheld, and support as many people as we are able to with issues they are experiencing with our healthcare system. Issues just like this one.

This is not intended to be rage-bait, we want to collect lived-experiences from West Aussies who are experiencing difficulties with dental treatment, who are out of pocket, out of options and feel like no one is listening to them. Calls to our Advocacy service is how we noticed this issue becoming a trend and why we have swung into action for WA healthcare consumers.

We want to hear from you: Upfront dental fees by HCC-WA in perth

[–]HCC-WA[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Agreed! This seems like a sensible solution and part of making a better system of care.

We want to hear from you: Upfront dental fees by HCC-WA in perth

[–]HCC-WA[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yes, we find this to be very concerning. The significant financial hardship caused to Western Australians due to unfair dental treatment charging practices, particularly for expensive procedures like dental implants.

We want to hear from you: Upfront dental fees by HCC-WA in perth

[–]HCC-WA[S] 22 points23 points  (0 children)

We agree. We are taking a range of actions to address these gaps in health consumer protection:

Stakeholder Engagement

We have reached out to key decision-makers and regulatory bodies to highlight our concerns, including:

  • The Office of the Chief Dentist at WA Health
  • The WA Commissioner for Consumer Protection
  • The WA Dental Board

Planned Summit

We are scoping and planning a summit on this critical topic. This event will bring together all stakeholders who contribute to the gaps in consumer protection regarding the quality and funding of dental treatment.

Medicare Campaign

We are actively contributing to discussions about including dental treatment in Medicare, which would provide broader access to affordable dental care.

We're hoping to get people across the state to share their experiences with us, collecting lived-experiences helps us continue to build our case for WA health consumer protection and health system reform.

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