(1) Section 138 of the Principal Act is amended by substituting the following subsection for subsection (2):

"(2) The regulations, for the purposes of this section, may specify the payment of the whole or any part of the cost of any of the following:

(a) the carrying out of a dental examination;

(b) the carrying out of an optical examination;

(c) appliances provided under the scheme commonly known as the Medical Appliances Scheme.".

(2) The amendment effected by subsection (1) shall not apply to any treatment or benefit approved on or before 31 December 2009 pursuant to and in accordance with section 138 and regulations made under it.

(3) This section comes into operation on 1 January 2010.