Dentists lose appeal over HSE funding

An appeal by dentists over changes to the HSE funding of dental treatment for medical card holders which essentially confined that funding to emergency treatments has been dismissed by the Supreme Court.

The five-judge court unaniomously ruled that a revised contract between the HSE and dentists gave the HSE “virtually untramelled choice” in withdrawing funding from particular forms of dental treatments.

Before the disputed changes were introduced via a circular issued by the HSE in April 2010, dentists were entitled to reimbursement for all routine treatments provided to medical card holders. Under the 2010 circular, only emergency treatments qualified.