Why Kingston Beach Dental has not signed up as a Member’s Choice or Preferred Provider with dental insurance companies.

To provide quality and caring dentistry at Kingston Beach Dental, we believe the best treatment decisions are made through consultation between the patient and the dentist, without influence from a health fund.  A preferred provider should be who YOU prefer to see and who YOU trust to provide your dental care.  We see patients from all health funds and can claim your rebate on the spot for you through our convenient HICAPs terminal.

Preferred Provider or Members Choice arrangements are financial schemes or agreements between a dental practice and a health fund.  They are not concerned with the quality of treatment but are concerned with meeting billing quotas and securing shareholder profits through an increased number of patients coming through the door to fill their appointment books. They are not preferred because of their dental ability or the service and care that they provide.

Kingston Beach Dental is a family-owned and operated dental practice and chooses to be completely independent from corporate healthcare and insurance companies and schemes.  We see patients from all health funds. We are run by the dental practitioners who work here and we are not governed by billing quotas and targets based on health fund profits. 

It is important to be comfortable with, and trust your dental practitioner.  Like the Australian Dental Association, we believe that you should not have your right to choose your health care provider dictated by health funds and their contractual arrangements with particular dentists. If you pay the same premiums as someone else you deserve the best care and rebates regardless of where you go. 

There is no assurance about the quality of work provided under Preferred Provider arrangements.  Where a health fund sets the fees and rebates, the dental practitioner has to work at an increased rate to meet increased overheads and maintain their business profit margins.  In order to maintain the practice income additional item numbers may be invoiced, over-servicing has been reported,  and appointments may be shortened or rushed.  Care is compromised when staff training and infection control are compromised or cheaper materials are used and lab work is sent to overseas dental laboratories.  

At Kingston Beach Dental we see patients from ALL health funds and are proud to invest in our team, our equipment, our technology and standards of care. We will never cut corners to meet billing quotas dictated by a financial scheme with a health fund.

For further information about Preferred Provider arrangements and schemes please ask about ethical health funds that we can recommend or read http://bitemagazine.com.au/problem-preferred-providers.