Press Releases
Community Care Fund subsidises more elderly people for removable dentures (with photo)
The following is issued on behalf of the Community Care Fund Secretariat:
The Community Care Fund (CCF) will launch the Elderly Dental Assistance
Expanded Programme on September 1 to extend the service to Old Age Living
Allowance (OALA) recipients in phases, starting with those aged 80 or above
in the first phase involving about 130 000 elderly people. The Expanded
Programme enables more senior citizens who have financial difficulties and
do not receive Comprehensive Social Security Assistance to benefit from free
removable dentures and other related dental services.
The Chairperson of the CCF Task Force under the Commission on Poverty (CoP),
Dr Law Chi-kwong, said at a press briefing today (August 25), "The Elderly
Dental Assistance Programme was introduced in September 2012 to provide free
removable dentures and other related dental services for low-income elderly
persons who are users of the home care service or home help service schemes
subvented by the Social Welfare Department. So far, about 1 400 elderly
people have benefited from the Programme.
"Having regard to the response to the Programme and the operating
experience, the CoP has decided to expand the beneficiaries of the Programme
progressively to cover elderly persons who are OALA recipients. Taking into
account the existing manpower situation of the local dental profession and
the number of eligible elderly people, we will implement the Expanded
Programme in phases. We will start receiving applications from those aged 80
or above next month.
"Since OALA recipients have gone through the relevant means test, there will
not be an additional income check on the applicants under the Expanded
Programme."
The CCF has earmarked about $800 million to meet the expenditure of the
Expanded Programme in the first three years. If necessary, the CCF will
consider seeking additional allocation from the CoP to tie in with the
implementation progress of the Expanded Programme.
The Hong Kong Dental Association (HKDA) is responsible for implementing the
Elderly Dental Assistance Programme for the CCF.
The President of the HKDA, Dr Sigmund Leung, said, "Currently, about 300
dentists have joined the Expanded Programme and registered as 'community
care' dentists to provide the necessary denture services. More than 170
elderly centres and community centres (i.e. district service units) located
in various districts of the territory will handle the applications and
arrange the first dental appointment for eligible elderly persons. Eligible
senior citizens can bring along the necessary documents to apply in person
at the district service units starting on September 1."
The eligibility and application procedures of the Expanded Programme as well
as a list of district service units are available at the CCF website (www.communitycarefund.hk)
and the HKDA website (www.hkda.org).
Relevant information leaflets and the list of district service units will be
distributed at the elderly centres in various districts from September 1
onwards. For enquiries, please call the Programme hotline at 2525 8198.
Ends/Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Issued at HKT 17:49
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