EPC Program via Medicare

When I saw the dental technician, he told me about a Medicare program that I had never heard of before. The rest of you Aussies might be interested in this information.
It's called the Enhanced Primary Care Program. Click on the Title of this blog to get more information.
From the web page:- Medicare dental items (Medicare items 85011-87777) are available for people with chronic conditions and complex care needs, on referral from a GP. Eligible patients can access up to $4,250 in Medicare benefits for dental services over two consecutive calendar years.
Wow! That amount would cover a lot of dental work!

After the dentist filled me in on this program, I went to the surgery and handed them the piece of paper with the name of the program on it. Yes, they knew all about it. They booked me in for a one hour appointment with the doctor and the nurse.

Last night, I was thinking that I had done the wrong thing and should have waited until I got home again, where all of my records could have been accessed. WRONG. When I went for the visit today, I found that having diabetes was sufficient to establish eligibility for the program.

The nurse weighed, measured, took BP and filled in a few gaps on the computer. The doctor then checked me over, asked a few questions and wrote me a referral to the dentist. And that's it. How simple could it be?! Medicare has kept this secret very well.

If you plan on taking up this opportunity for dental work of any sort, don't wait too long. This information comes from the Government page :-

"In line with its election commitment, the Government planned to close the Medicare chronic disease dental scheme to all patients by 1 July 2008, and to re-direct the savings to its new dental programs (Commonwealth Dental Health Program and Medicare Teen Dental Plan). However, on 19 June 2008, the Senate blocked the scheme’s closure. On 16 September 2008, the Senate blocked the Government’s second attempt to close the scheme ...........
It remains the Government's intention to close the scheme in order to make funding available for its new dental programs, and the Government will continue to negotiate with the Senate in an effort to achieve this."

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Fairly Boring

Not much happening lately but it's good to call lazing in the sun and the warm pools, "boring".

One front top tooth fell out and I tried to learn to whistle through the gap! Eventually, I saw a dental technician who visits from Inverell one day a week. After he had finished the job, he said that I would soon need new dentures and asked me if I knew about a Medicare scheme for free dental treatment. I had never heard of it and looked it up on the internet. Sure enough, it exists, by the skin of its teeth, if you'll pardon the pun. Rudd tried to stop it twice in 2008 but it was blocked by senate. I'll look into that scheme before it no longer exists.

The scabs on Steve's knees are beginning to come off. Goodness, they seem to have been there for a long long time!

I've been seeing the Diabetic Educator at the Community Health service up here. I was having a hypo every day after swimming but since she altered my medication slightly , they have stopped. Thank heavens! I was beginning to get paranoid about going to the pool. She also suggested some carbs before I went. With some experimentation, we found that it was the vigorous exercise that I do in the pool that was bringing the blood sugar drastically down.

The pools have been full of kids for the last few weeks, because of school holidays. They are staggered throughout the states but finish this week. Emily and Carissa have another week because they go to a private school. As I was getting into the pool one day, I heard a Mother with 3 children say, "Now calm down your play and no more splashing." I hastened to assure her that kids, water, play and splashing all belonged together and there was no need to change anything on my behalf. She was grateful and the kids were happy to continue their games. I really dislike the grumpy bums with the beehive hair do and make up, who complain about the kids. If they don't like their hair getting wet, they should keep away from water.

For those who know Jim Baxter --- He is in hospital in Bendigo, recovering from a massive infection. Dom, Rachel and Talitha all went up to see him and said that he was most unwell. His wife Jenny is keeping me up to date with his condition.

The weather forecast for this week is a little cooler than usual. Monday is meant to be only 18C but the end of the week should be back to 21C.

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View

This is the view from the kitchen window, the beginning of the hibiscus. The banksia rose has a couple of flowers but nothing else has emerged yet. Summer and autumn were very dry and I think that this has delayed the bulbs.
I took the photo through the glass ---- look closely and you will see where I haven't cleaned!!!

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Gumshoe

Madeleine (12) is performing in Gumshoe, a spy musical comedy with Eltham Little Theatre, Melbourne. It was on last Friday,Saturday and Sunday and there will be another 3 performances this coming weekend. The kids all take a few parts. Maddy, as a bag lady, opens the show. Tarl says that she was great. (That's a Mother's unbiased view!!)
If you want to read about the show, click on the Gumshoe link in the title and scroll down until you reach Gumshoe. I found a review on the internet. It reads --------
Reviewer Date Review
Bec 16-July-2009 10:25 Its a fantastic show - great sets, wonderful costumes and the young cast are very good - a fun, quality show for all the family!

I'm so glad and grateful that at least 2 of my grandkids are into acting and singing. They were my greatest loves. Sam, (11) was Mowgli in Jungle Book last year and this August, his group, Mel-O-Drama will be performing again. My famous memory has forgotten the production but I remember thinking that the quick witted, fast talking part was perfect for Sam.

It's a great pity that we are in Moree and not able to see the kids in their plays. Maybe I'll make the big effort to see them both on Broadway in 10 years time!!!!!

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Waiting for Marion

Waiting For Godot. I attempted to read it many years ago. I couldn't make head nor tail of it. I saw it on stage and still couldn't appreciate it. I don't think I'll try again.

Anyway, Waiting for Marion is a different kettle of fish. She and Yvonne will be here on Aug 3rd, for 7-10 days. This will be lovely!!

Taswegians Leave

Friday ------ we waved goodbye to Sue and Richard this morning. It doesn't seem like 3 weeks since they arrived. We have had a lovely time and will miss them very much.

They are going to spend tonight at Boomi before meeting up with Sue's brother who is en route from Darwin to his home in Adelaide. I was sorely tempted to go with them, especially as they will visit their old home of Charleville, which we never visited. I threw out lots of hints to Steve during the last week. A few hours after they left, I said, "I wish we could have gone with them". His reply was, "Well, we could leave now." Considering how long it would take for us to dismantle the annexe and pack up, they would be two days ahead of us!

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Cranky Rock

On Monday, Steve, Sue, Richard and I took a trip to Cranky Rock, in their nice car. If we had arrived there and turned around and come back immediately, it would still have been a good trip --- their car is ultra smooth, especially by comparison with our clunking truck!!

We stopped in Warialda first, where we made "expensive" purchases at the St. Vinnies shop. I'm so pleased with my goodies. I think I'll make a separate post about them when I have some photos.
Sue and Richard appreciated the quaint aspects of the town that we like so much.

I went into the IGA supermarket, in the faint hope that I might find a can of Cream of Celery soup that I couldn't find in Moree. Heaps of them! Now I'm very suspicious that the 2 big stores, Coles and Woolworths no longer sell Campbell's soups, for some reason. I guess I had better try to find out why. It is so infuriating that these supermarkets can substitute their own labels for the familiar old brands.

Cranky Rock is 8 kms out of Warialda, on the road to Inverell and Armidale. The rough road in is surrounded by increasing amounts of rock until you arrive at a natural amphitheatre, completely surrounded by boulders perched on, tumbling over, crowded in, with more boulders.

After a delicious picnic lunch of sandwiches and sausage rolls kept warm in the Dreampot, we crossed the suspension bridge (a favourite of mine) and headed up the hill to the Cranky Rock (which was still in place and hadn't tumbled off since last year!)

The view from the lookout at the top of the hill always thrills me. Markings on the boulders show that the water was once many, many metres higher than it is at present.






















This time we saw feral goats eating on the bank of the river.


Richard was able to satisfy his passion for birds and we all admired a beautiful yellow robin. Some other tiny birds, also with a touch of yellow, flittered around way too fast for the camera to catch them.

A little rest on the way down. If I had known that Steve was taking a photo, I would have sat more elegantly, like Sue did!!

Before we reached the bridge again, we turned off and went down to the river (where Josh first learnt to "skip" stones.) In this area, I could easily pretend to be a child again!