D) Does the health fund have the same rebate for dental services regardless of which dentist you choose?

• Look carefully at the conditions imposed by the Insurer.

• As all members of a fund will pay identical premiums, eligibility for rebates should also be identical.

• To increase a rebate available to one member who chooses to use a Health fund preferred provider discriminates financially against the member who chooses to maintain a dentist patient relationship that may have existed for years. Your fund should allow you to choose your dentist. Refer also to Question B response.

• There is now evidence available that some health funds are using the opportunity of discussing written estimates of costs of treatments with their members to deliberately attempt to redirect patients to the funds’ contracted (preferred provider) dentists.

•  This practice is discouraging patients from using their dentist of choice and may compromise the quality of care to be delivered to you.

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