Hi Ladies,
In my research I came across this site that offers discount dental coverage for people without dental insurance. It is pretty cool. You have a choice of plans and by typing in your zip code you are taken to plans available in your area and local participating dentists. It's not dental insurance. The cost starts at $79/year for individuals and you can buy a family plan as well. If you surf around a bit, you will find approximate costs for basic services. I am fortunate enough to have dental coverage through work so I do not participate, but there was discussion on another board about the state of our health care system and thought I would share this with everyone. Is anyone familiar with this? dental plans

I cannot help myself. When I saw this I had to add a relevant article that I wrote about the subject. Please be very careful with the plans you find and read ALL the small print.

DENTAL INSURANCE HAS NO TEETH!
by Saundra Goodman

Dental insurance is a forgotten subset of health insurance. Dental care and dental insurance are issues that must be addressed in the fight for health care reform.

Forty-seven million Americans have no insurance; seven million are ages 50-64. People without dental insurance don’t get the care or the teeth they need. If they can’t eat, they get sick and ultimately cost the government more money than they would have if they had gotten proper dental care, defeating the purpose of affordable health care.

When did prevention become unaffordable?

1. Dental disease is as related to overeating as it is to diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, obesity, and osteoporosis.
2. People who are missing teeth suffer from digestive problems due to the inability to chew, inadequate nutritional intake, and therefore, a decreased quality of life.

We should worry about people with no insurance because we could be next. The gap between those with and those without insurance is increasing.

Americans are losing their health and dental insurance coverage to lay-offs, unemployment, and the rising cost of health care. Employers are cutting insurance benefits for their current employees, employees retiring early, and already retired employees.

Dental insurance is not uniform across the United States because there is no regulation for insurance companies to determine reimbursement levels. Similar to medical HMO’s, dental HMO managed care is concerned with cost containment, which means that, while the insurance companies continue to make a profit, dental professionals must accept lower fees and see more patients to absorb their losses.

How can dental professionals perform proper dental care under these circumstances? Some compensate for their losses in their quality of care: less time per patient, less expensive materials.

1. The average $1,000 annual benefit paid is the same total benefit that was available in 1974. Fees increase, dental insurance coverage does not.
2. There are people with no teeth who have to choose between buying food or medication and getting dental help.
3. Dentures can cost over $1300. Who’s going to hire someone with no teeth?
4. AARP’s dental insurance coverage allows for only one (1) periodontal cleaning every five (5) years, which is not enough to save everyone’s teeth. (It’s in the small print.)

Disabled and elderly people live for years without dental care. Untreated dental infections from decayed and abscessed teeth can cause death. Is that an ethical decision or a financial decision? Do you care if it doesn’t affect you or someone close to you?

The cost of medical and dental insurance co-payments and prescription drugs continues to increase. Medicare and Medicaid are continually targeted for budget cuts. With our encouragement (public demand), our government leaders (it will take an act of Congress) must take the initiative to resolve the issues that keep us from achieving complete health and dental benefits.

What I know for sure is that it’s all connected. Please call, write, or email your Congressman or Congresswoman to make a difference.

Saundra Goodman is the author of an inspiring and invaluable book titled Got Teeth? A Survivor’s Guide, How to keep your teeth or live without them. Saundra is an expert on how to have and keep a beautiful smile, even with replacement teeth.

Visit www.gotteethguide.com to learn what you can do for yourself, your children, and your grandchildren.

You may publish my article in your newsletter, on your web site, or in your publication provided you publish the entire article and include the resource box at the end. Notification would be appreciated, but it is not required.

Hotflashgal, and Saundra I've been meaning to post on this subject for awhile now...

Good article, Saundra.

I have a neighbor whose sister, a wonderful woman in her sixties, has no dental insurance, her husband is disabled, and she works only part time, to enable her to care for her husband. This woman is a prime example of what you're talking about here. For two years now, she had been having health problems, usually diagnosed as 'sinus infections' by her doctor. Antibiotics were prescribed, and within a few weeks of finishing the prescription, she would be once more feeling ill. A few months ago she was experiencing arm and leg pains, burning, etc., low grade fevers, swelling at the base of her skull and neck lymph node, causing neck pain. She endured a series of medical tests, trying to discover what was wrong. No firm diagnosis, merely 'some infection'. Then, she realized her last upper jaw tooth, on the left seemed very loose, and the gumline from that tooth to past the next one was tight, funny feeling, and looking, but no pain. When she mentioned this to her sister, she was asked is she'd been to the dentist lately, and she said no, not for almost five years. She called her doctor, and asked him if maybe, her teeth could be causing her health problems. She was then asked when she had last seen a dentist, and once she said five years, it was suggested she see one immediately.

She did, and discovered those two upper jaw teeth were completely, deeply infected, into the roots, the gumline, and from x-rays, it was evident the infection was in her sinus cavities. Immediate extraction was necessary for both teeth, and she was referred to an oral surgeon. Out of pocket cost of the procedure was approximately $1,000.00.

One of the most frequently asked questions concerning Medicare and Dental coverage:

Does Medicare pay for dental services?

Medicare does not cover routine dental care or most dental procedures such as cleanings, fillings or tooth extractions or dentures. There are rare cases in which Medicare Part B will pay for certain dental services. In addition, there are some situations in which Medicare Part A will pay for certain dental services delivered on an inpatient basis. You should contact your local Carrier for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions - Medicare

The below article is another one that gives an honest overview of the dental crisis for older Americans:
DENTAL CARE DILEMMA

For a lot of seniors mouth problems become so pronounced that it makes more sense to simply have the teeth extracted and to get dentures.

"They find out how much it is going to cost to restore the teeth they've got, and it's too cost-prohibitive," said Dr. Scot Brewer, 46, of Champaign-Urbana Denture Services in an interview. "You could spend five to ten thousand dollars on your mouth without batting an eye, with crowns and root canals, and all that fancy stuff."

Brewer mentioned that because many seniors do not have dental insurance, they cannot afford most dentists' prices. The average cost of a denture at a regular dentist is $1,200 a plate, and $2,400 for the set.'--excerpt from Dental Care Dilemma by Kelly Retan

Interesting topic. I love learning new information at BWS. Thanks ladies.

Wow, Hotflashgal, I can't thank you enough! What great information for a single "parent" of two small children.