The following is issued on behalf of the Community Care Fund Secretariat:

     The Community Care Fund (CCF) will launch the third phase of the Elderly Dental Assistance Expanded Programme next Monday (July 3) to cover elderly people who are Old Age Living Allowance (OALA) recipients aged 70 or above. This will enable more elderly persons who have financial difficulties and do not receive Comprehensive Social Security Assistance to benefit from free removable dentures and other related dental services. The expenditure required will be absorbed by the approved provision of about $800 million.

     Under the Elderly Dental Assistance Programme, some 180 district service units, including elderly centres, community centres and dental clinics which process applications directly, will handle applications and arrange the first dental appointment for eligible elderly people. These units are located in various districts across the territory.

     After completion of the necessary dental treatments, the implementing agent of the programme, the Hong Kong Dental Association (HKDA), will disburse the subsidy to the dentists direct. The dentists should not charge the participating elderly persons any fee.

     With effect from July 3, eligible elderly people aged 70 or above can bring along the necessary documents to apply in person at the district service units.

     The relevant leaflet and a list of district service units handling applications will be available for distribution at the elderly centres in various districts from next Monday. The eligibility and application procedures of the programme and the list of district service units can also be found on the websites of the CCF (www.communitycarefund.hk) and the HKDA (www.hkda.org). For enquiries, please call the hotline of the programme at 2525 8198.

     The Elderly Dental Assistance Programme was introduced in September 2012 to provide free removable dentures and other related dental services to low-income elderly persons who are users of home care service or home help service schemes subvented by the Social Welfare Department.

     The programme was expanded in September 2015 to cover elderly people who are OALA recipients in phases, starting with those aged 80 or above in the first phase and the second phase which was launched in October 2016 and covered those aged 75 or above.

Ends/Monday, June 26, 2017
Issued at HKT 14:30

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