A report from an issue brief showed that only 42% of ranch and farm operators in some states in the Great Plains have dental insurance and their average out-of-pocket expense for vision and dental care exceeds the average amount for out-of-pocket expense on prescription medications.
The Costs of Dental Care and the Impact of Dental Insurance Coverage is one of the issue briefs that examine the health care costs of ranch and farm families living in South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Montana, Missouri, Minnesota, and Iowa.
The data from the 2007 Health Insurance Survey of Farm and Ranch Operators were gathered from 2,017 ranch and farm operator respondents through a phone survey. The survey was conducted by The Access Project, a resource center that works on improving the health as well as the health care access of the local communities. This Boston-based resource center has joined Brandeis University and the University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health to gather relevant data about the insurance coverage and the health care expenses of ranchers and farmers.
The dental brief revealed several key findings:
1. Three-fourths of the respondents reported that they have out-of-pocket expenses for their dental care.
2. Around 42% of the respondents have dental insurance.
3. The respondents that have dental insurance spent $978 while those who have no dental insurance spent $1,007.
4. A greater variety of expenses was experienced by those without a dental insurance.
5. Almost 7% of the respondents have delayed dental care due to its high cost. The respondents who have no dental insurance were more likely to have their dental care delayed as compared to those who have dental insurance.
For most, there are dental insurance alternatives that would help save on dental costs.
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