Rudd quiet on Denticare scheme

AAP

PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd won't say whether his government will introduce a Medicare-style dental scheme as recommended by a major health review.

The government has been sitting on a report by the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission since July last year, despite promising to respond by "early" 2010.

The commission called for a $3.6 billion-a-year scheme - called Denticare Australia - that would offer universal access to preventive and restorative dental care and dentures.

The plan would be funded by an 0.75 percentage point increase in the Medicare levy, leading to an extra tax bill of $450 for those earning $60,000 a year and pushing the basic Medicare levy up to 2.25 per cent of income.

Mr Rudd was pressed on the issue by Darwin mum Rachel Murphy, of Darwin, during his weekly appearance on the Seven Network's Sunrise program on Friday.

"Why is dental not subsidised by Medicare?" she asked the prime minister.

Mr Rudd said introducing Denticare would cost "a lot of money".

"There's a limit to how far the budget can go on these things," he said, adding the government was trying to reintroduce a commonwealth dental scheme for older Australians on public health waiting lists.

It had also introduced an assistance program for eligible families with teenagers.

"We're trying to do this step by step."