Those considering Medicaid cuts are targeting benefits considered optional under federal rules. To us, dental care is not so optional- not if our tooth is aching all day long or we have an infection in our mouth. People need dental care- it is non-negotiable. Despite our objections, it seems as though things are just getting worse.
Medicaid cuts as a result of financial crisis are no longer just affecting the elderly. Since July, adults older that twenty-one living in Florida no longer have the right to dental care in anything other than emergency circumstances and all other adult dental Medicaid programs have been eliminated all together. Federal funds relating to dental care for the whole country have been trimmed by a ridiculous amount and people have found themselves stranded, without the money needed to provide adequate dental care for themselves and their families. Without coverage provided by the government, people will simply go without, not having enough money to fund their dental care independently.
It even seems that the number of dentists accepting Medicaid patients is dwindling and patients are having to hunt down providers and are facing long waiting lists or ludicrous journeys simply to get their children’s teeth seen. Dentists not within a community clinic have stopped accepting Medicaid coverage as payment because the reimbursement rate is so low that it barely covers overhead costs. People are simply giving up or not trying in the first place, resulting in bad dental hygiene and decay. Dentists simply can’t meet the need.
It is difficult to hazard a guess as to the number of people affected by the cuts- thousands at least. Basically people have to be swollen and in hideous amounts of pain before they can claim these benefits. As a result of budget deficits, people are suffering badly and there must be an alternative. For the impoverished that simply can’t afford insurance, or anyone looking for dental insurance alternatives, there seems to be only one light at the end of the tunnel- a dental plan.
With a dental plan, you do not have to pay an annual or monthly premium. Joining the plan is relatively inexpensive- about one hundred dollars per year- and you can benefit from highly reduced rates from dentists within the plan’s network of providers. With a dental plan, your coverage begins instantly, covers pre-existing conditions and even cosmetic dentistry. There are no requirements or exclusions- anyone may join the plan. Most insurers also place limits on the amount of treatment you can receive annually and detail which treatments are covered. These are not issues with a discount dental plan.
Claiming reduced rates based on a small annual fee is fantastic option for people who cannot afford dental insurance and are no longer covered by Medicaid. The health and hygiene of our teeth is vital. We won’t get far without them.
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Tags: Dental Care, Dental Costs, dental insurance alternative, discount dental plans, Medicaid cuts