The ACCC has granted interim authorisation to The Hospitals Contribution Fund of Australia Limited (HCF) and current and future dentists who are members of HCF’s More For Teeth program, to enter into and give effect to contracts between them which contain provisions specifying the maximum prices for preventative and diagnostic dental services to be provided by dentists to HCF members as part of the More For Teeth program. HCF has an existing authorisation granted in May 2018 which expires on 1 June 2023, and interim authorisation is granted for the same conduct that was previously authorised in 2018.
HCF operates the More For Teeth Program as a preferred provider program with dental clinics to facilitate ‘no-gap’ arrangements for its members, while HCF also operates its own dental clinics in its Dental Centre Network.
Interim authorisation commences immediately and provides protection from legal action for conduct that may otherwise breach the competition provisions of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 while the ACCC considers the substantive application. The ACCC may review the interim authorisation at any time and its interim authorisation decision should not be taken to be indicative of whether or not final authorisation will be granted.