The beneficiaries of GESS, regardless of age, from June 1 will be able to visit once a year a dentist of their choice for cleaning teeth, provided that the dentist has contracted with the system. Along with the dental cleaning, the beneficiaries will undergo an examination of the oral cavity with the aim of early detection of serious diseases. The operating regulations of the dentists at GESS have been announced and will be in public consultation until February 7.
The Dental Association and the Health Insurance Organization will then discuss the financial part of the agreement – that is, how much the teeth cleaning will be compensated – the only dental service that will be covered by the system. The OAU initially budgeted € 10 million for dental services. The amount, however, is not considered sufficient with dentists claiming that with this budget their fee will be extremely low.
Speaking to “P” the president of the Dental Association Brasidas Filippidis said that there are some points in the regulations that need further clarification, such as that dentists who choose to contract with the system should have professional liability insurance or the fact that the dentist is not allowed to prescribe medication. “If an abscess is found, should the beneficiary go to his personal doctor to get the antibiotic through the GESS?” asked Mr. Brasidas.
Asked about the budget and the fees, he said that the Dental Association is waiting for the financial proposal of OAY. However, he estimated that the coverage of the beneficiaries of GESS with preventive cleaning of teeth presupposes a higher amount than what the Health Insurance Organization would initially have. Cleaning, he noted, takes time to perform properly and various consumables that should be taken into account.
Finally, he clarified that any negotiation and any proposal submitted by the OAW will be brought before the dentists so that each professional can decide what to do.
Mr. Brasidas, however, noted the benefits that arise from the control of the oral cavity, noting that the effective prevention of dental diseases (caries) and periodontitis (gingivitis, periodontitis) is achieved, as well as the early detection of a large number of serious diseases such as oral cancer, diabetes mellitus, HIV. Diseases, which, as he explained, “occur first in the mouth and then in the rest of the body.” Early diagnosis of such serious diseases, he added, will have a significant benefit to public health at the same time as there will be savings in human and material resources, time, and treatment costs.
The regulations
The regulations define the preventive dental health care services provided, the fees, the minimum requirements for the provision of health care services, the procedure for registering dentists in the system, and the record keeping by dentists.
As is the case with the personal and specialist doctors of GESS, the dentist of GESS must inform the IT system for each visit of a beneficiary. He will also have the obligation to update the beneficiary's file in relation to each visit and to record in his file the diagnosis or possible diagnosis before the issuance of a prescription. In order to protect personal data, the access of dentists to the beneficiary's file will be limited, while in case a dentist tries to influence in any way the beneficiary's right to choose the health provider, he commits an offense (criminal) and in case of conviction, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding 5,000 euros.
Dentists are given the right to leave the system by effectively terminating the contract with the OAU after one month of written notice. Dentists, according to the regulations, will be paid on the basis of unit price which will take into account the weight of each dental operation and / or activity.
