Payment after treatment and reimbursements
Generally, clients apply for a Special Needs Grant for essential dental treatment before having the treatment
However, there may be times when a client needs essential dental treatment in an emergency, and they are unable to apply for a Special Needs Grant first. When this happens, a client may have:
- an outstanding account (a debt) to pay immediately after the treatment has been provided or
- to pay for the treatment before it is provided
Outstanding accounts
A Special Needs Grant can be considered to pay an account if the client had essential dental treatment in an emergency and was unable to apply before they had the treatment.
The client must meet the qualifications, including that they have no other way of paying the account (e.g. through instalments), or their current budget does not allow them to pay for this unexpected cost.
Reimbursements
A Special Needs Grant can be considered to reimburse a client if they had essential dental treatment in an emergency, were unable to apply before they had the treatment, and they had to pay for the treatment immediately using resources that were set aside for another essential purpose e.g. accommodation or groceries.
Example
A client develops a toothache at the weekend. They are in extreme pain and go to an emergency dentist who confirms they have an abscessed tooth that needs to be treated immediately.
The dentist advises the treatment will cost $200 and must be paid for in advance. The only money the client has is their rent money for next week. They pay the $200 from their rent money to get the treatment they need.
The client contacts MSD on Monday to apply for financial assistance. The client meets the qualifications for a Special Needs Grant for essential dental treatment and they are reimbursed the $200.
