709. More than ten thousand private school children do not have access to the dentist's check

The Health Regulatory Entity (ERS) warns that more than 10,000 children are being excluded from the check-dentist program because they attend private schools. The alleged lack of equity in access to health care exists even in cases where children and young people are deprived of and have scholarships to attend colleges, Jornal de Notícias reports.
There is an unacceptable discrimination of those who make their choice for private education, says the director of the Association of Private and Cooperative Education, Rodrigo Queiroz e Melo, noting that of the 10,000 children without access to the dentist's check, about 1,000 have difficulties.
Despite the universal nature of this benefit, the Ministry of Health explains to the Jornal de Notícias that it has privileged the children of public schools and private social solidarity institutions (IPSS) as the most vulnerable and with the most clinical impact.
In 2017, more than 71,000 dental clinics were held in health centers, benefiting about 40,000 children and young people.

JE o JornalEconómico

708. PORTUGAL: More individuals report unmet needs in relation to oral health care

More individuals report unmet needs in relation to oral health care. Thus Portugal already has a total percentage of 15.7% (compared with 5.5% in the EU), with the lowest income group accounting for 28.8% (EU 10.4%).
The barriers to access to health care remain relevant in Portugal, and especially marked from the socio-economic point of view. An income-related social gradient has been observed for medical treatments in general, but above all a high degree of unmet need, with a marked socioeconomic gradient, in oral health, mental health and medicines. Compared to the rest of Europe, Portugal does not suffer from greater barriers to access, but these barriers are more marked from the socio-economic point of view, in particular with regard to financial constraints.

In this context, three notable and expected situations should be highlighted: iniquity in the use and access to oral health, mental health, and medicines. In these three fields, there are not only strong limitations in access, but these limitations disproportionately affect the poorest. In the case of oral health and mental health, this inequity is explained by the lack of provision of these services in the National Health Service, and the need to be largely satisfied through the private sector, that is, only accessible to those who have insurance or ability to pay.

In the case of oral health, attempts were made to mitigate this situation through check-dentist, to be able to use the private sector, but possibly this initiative failed to reduce inequity.

Thus, it will not be possible to improve access to certain care, nor to reduce catastrophic health expenditures without a determined action in S.N.S. (Portuguese national health service) in the field of oral health and mental health, and in improving access to medicines for the most deprived citizens.

 

RELATÓRIO PRIMAVERA 2017 DO OBSERVATÓRIOPORTUGUÊS DOS SISTEMAS DE SAÚDE