NHS maternity exemption

thecoffeehouse204

Hope I'm posting in the right board, I'm looking for some advice for my friend who had a baby last year. Her maternity exemption expires this week but the baby was premature so actually turned 1 a few weeks ago. As she believed her card expired this week she booked in last week for a filling that needed doing. At the end of her appointment the receptionist argued that the treatment wouldn't be free as they go off the baby's birth date so whilst there my friend called the NHS to confirm she was still entitled. The person she spoke to assured her she was still covered for dental treatment till the expiry date on the card, so the receptionist let her leave.

She has been contacted by the dentist today who have again told her she is definately not covered so she needs to pay the £60 due immediately which is money she really doesn't have right now. Every penny is spoken for until she returns to work in September and gets paid. She contacted the NHS again and has now been told different information, that the dental exemption expires on the baby's birth date. Surely there must be lots of babies born prematurely but I can't seen to find any information online about the early expiry if your baby is born early. Seems really unfair that she had not been told about this and there is no information online. She wouldn't have bothered with the filling if she'd known as its already fallen out once and is causing her endless trouble but was fine before.

Does anyone have any more information on what she can do in this situation, with getting two different answers is it worth her calling again or putting in some kind of complaint? She has offered a payment plan with the dentist but they've just said they want their money. Thanks in advance.

marliepanda

But she!!!8217;s booked in the work on her own !!!8216;knowledge!!!8217; and only got incorrrect info after she had had it done? She didn!!!8217;t get it done because of false info from the NHS.

I!!!8217;m not sure how else they would do it or how a baby being premature affects it? A year is a year?

[Deleted User]

If the card was valid the treatment is free and the dentist needs to claim for it. Personally I'd ignore the dentist.

thecoffeehouse204

marliepanda wrote: »

But she!!!8217;s booked in the work on her own !!!8216;knowledge!!!8217; and only got incorrrect info after she had had it done? She didn!!!8217;t get it done because of false info from the NHS.

I!!!8217;m not sure how else they would do it or how a baby being premature affects it? A year is a year?

She went from the expiry date on her card which was a year from her original due date as that's the only information she had to go off, there is no information provided to say if your baby arrives early the date for dental cover changes to its arrival date so as far as she was concerned she was covered. It really seems like a very grey area that I'm surprised doesn't come up more often.

thecoffeehouse204

_shel wrote: »

If the card was valid the treatment is free and the dentist needs to claim for it. Personally I'd ignore the dentist.

Problem is the dentist is saying they can't claim as they need to put the babies birth date in! If she'd known it would cause an issue she would have just told them her birthdate was her card expiry date.
Think she will need to ring the NHS again to see if she gets a different answer again.

marliepanda

_shel wrote: »

If the card was valid the treatment is free and the dentist needs to claim for it. Personally I'd ignore the dentist.

From looking online it says the card only applies to prescriptions and the free dental only applies until your child’s 1st birthday.

Everywhere describes the exemption as a year after your due date or the year after your child’s birth (aka if the baby is late you get an extension from your due date)

poppy12345

She can check here using this link. If it's valid it will tell you. It will also tell you when it's due to expire.
https://services.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/check-for-help-paying-nhs-costs/start-exempt

clairec79

I'm sure on the form you sign at the dentist though you have to write in the date of birth of baby not say you have a valid form

thecoffeehouse204

Thanks all, looks like she's going to have to pay up. I suppose in most cases it's never an issue, she just took the date on her card as the right one as I would imagine a lot of people would, I dont think it's made very clear that the date will be different if you deliver early. It would help if the wording on the website read, the baby's due date or first birthday ; whichever comes first.
The dentist didn't do the paperwork with her till after the appointment otherwise she would have never had the work done.

hb2

I know it won't help with this payment , but if your friend is struggling to make ends meet, she might be entitled to help on the basis of low income..