Completely missing from the health care reform discussion is DENTAL CARE

[debbierlus]

All those free health care sessions you read about - a huge percentage are there because they lack basic dental care.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4013454

Dental care should be part of any health care coverage. Unattended dental problems can cause serious health problems. Untreated infections can cause heart problems. The fact that dental coverage is not even discussed in the current health care reform (oh excuse me, mandated private insurance reform) debate, it just shows how far away we are from creating a system that will truly take care of its people.

[LisaM]

1. Great.

You are exactly right; dental care is often the front line for detecting other problems.

[Cronus Protagonist]

2. DITTO!

No kidding. Even the dental health care "insurance" plans here are almost useless. You seldom get back what you pay. Dental care needs to be completely included.

k&r

[debbierlus]

3. Omg. Unrecommends on inclusion of dental care in health reform

Pathetic, guys.

[Quantess]

6. I gave it a rec but it was STILL below zero.

Fuck them.

[Jennicut]

16. I don't agree with you on everything but I do agree with you on this

Dental AND vision.

[joeybee12]

4. And when times are tough, it's the dental provisions that companies

drop...too bad we can't have a rational debate about this, when neo-fascist like Palin get involved.

[Quantess]

5. Back when I had insurance

I always chose the best dental policy and the meagerest health policy, because I knew I needed dental work but I didn't know that I'd need any medical care.

[slipslidingaway]

7. knr - when the CBO does score a SP bill remember it includes dental,

vision and long term care.

[Thrill]

8. Breast implants as well.

Any woman that wants them should be able to get them. Even if the Public Option has to help pay for them. Just my opinion :)

[vaberella]

10. Gym membership would be my push. Damnit I would love that inclusion. n/t

[Freddie Stubbs]

19. Women aren't the only people who get breast implants

[Wednesdays]

25. Yes, because an abscessed tooth is exactly like...

Oh God, I better stop before I conjure up an image that will give me nightmares.

[debbierlus]

27. I disagree. If you allow breast implants (outside masectomy or back issue), you would have to cover

Cosmetic nose jobs, cheek implants, face lifts, liposuction, botox treatments, tummy tucks...

You can't just pick one part of the body & say, if this will make a person feel better, then it should all be covered.

Those are optional procedures.

And, I wish women would just love themselves the way they are, breasts come in all shapes and sizes and they shouldn't have to be surgically altered to fit some weird societal fetish. (And, I often wonder about this since all the men & women I know seem to be happy with just about any breast)!

[joeglow3]

34. Do you oppose the inclusion of abortion outside of medical reasons?

After all, you could easily make the argument it is an unnecessary procedure at that point.

[hedgehog]

9. I hope this is part of the health care reform Obama refers to

(of which health insurance is only a part). We have to re-think health care to include dental and preventive care.

I can't give chapter and verse, but it's my impression that years ago a committee was established to determine reimbursement for doctors and hospitals. It was years ago and preventive care wasn't what it is now. Naturally, the doctors on the committee were from the higher reaches of the medical hierarchy. Being top heavy with surgeons, the committee naturally decided that surgical procedures should be well paid. Dentists rank below doctors, so they didn't get any say.



There was a doctor interviewed on Fresh Air today that noted that she spent most of her day in 20 minute discussions with patients to teach them how to stay healthy. She also performed 1 minor surgical procedure: releasing an ingrown toe nail. She said she got paid more for that procedure than for the rest of the day.

[timeforpeace]

11. Hurry up and vote on it before anyone notices! What else is missing?

[stray cat]

12. I guess it can get rejected along with the rest of the reform - since it isn't perfect

[nightrain]

13. knr. Yes. teeth and eyes. I guess they're not essential...

[SoCalDem]

14. A human body has many parts, but most are ignored by medical coverage

hearing is often not covered (except for the test that proves you need a hearing aid):eyes:

vision care is not all that great, and totally missing in some plans...and it can be very expensive to go it alone

mental health is considered exotic/unproductive/self-indulgent.

EVERYTHING we "have", has a purpose, and when it does not "work" properly, if there's a doctor who trained to know about "it", and to attend to the ailments of "it", medical coverage should be included for "it"..

Boner-pills makers sure figured out how to work the system..

[zeos3]

15. Agreed. eom

[tridim]

17. We all know it should be included.

And we also know that it will not be included in v1.0 of the bill.

So, I guess we should keep up the pressure, but not be surprised if dental care isn't part of the first real health care reform bill in modern American history.

[ipaint]

18. Some stats from remote area medical

Total patient encounters 357,368
Total value of free care donated by RAM to the underserved $33,079,038
Total number of participating ram volunteers 36,675
Total glasses given 70,704
Total teeth extracted 109,555

http://www.ramusa.org/learn/accomplishments.htm

They spent 33 million dollars and treated 357,368.



One United Health CEO earned $124.8 million in one year (2005)

And this ceo and others just like him/her are the people we want to put in charge of access to health care. And we are going to call that reform.




RAM's dental services have provided relief to thousands of patients over the years. Dental care is one of the core services of RAM expeditions.

Poor dental health is a frequently seen problem in the hills of the southern Appalachians, and RAM's services are desperately needed. Patients often arrive with serious dental problems, often affecting their overall health. In a single visit, many of these can be improved.

The RAM dental program has grown from offering only emergency extractions in the early days to include restorations, cleanings and fluoride treatments today. RAM has a number of very dedicated volunteer dentists whose hard work helps to make each expedition a success.

http://www.ramusa.org/services/dental.htm

[lawrencefox]

20. Just got back from Mexican dental visit Get your teeth fixed in Mexico

The cost of dental is a complete joke don't believe me. I just got a crown from a dentist who clientele is 70% U.S. citizens.

On the border wait last Tuesday the was a pretty good size shoot out we heard over 18 pops in a row right at the checkpoint.

I'll take the Tijuana violence and 70% off a crown any day of the year.


Via con Dios

Americans children have worse teeth then the poor children walking the streets of T.J.

ADA is a den of thieves

[JBoy]

21. My (Canadian, BC) health care does not cover dental

other than "medically necessary oral surgery" performed in a hospital. If I get my teeth smashed and need an operation, I'm covered, but otherwise not. Most employers offer dental coverage paying 80% of costs. Same story for prescriptions and routine eye exams.

[ProSense]

23. Interesting

The Canadian government has already implemented Universal Medical Care, but what about highly expensive dental care? It costs the average family thousands of dollars every year in dental costs, so don’t you think it’s about time the government institute mandatory free dental care for all Canadians?

.=link

[nonsequitur]

22. It needs to have dental care in it for sure. Dental is insanely high and ....

can affect your health. We need to push for this to be in it. I know lots of people that let their teeth go because they can't afford it. I pay extra to take the dental part of our plan. Get a root canal and crown and you're talking over $1000.00. We need to get on this now.

[Wednesdays]

24. K&R

:kick:

On edit, we should also push for vision care, if it's not already in the bill...at least covering one eye exam per year, plus enough for basic glasses (the cheapies--more elaborate glasses or contact lenses can be out-of-pocket). For some people it is impossible to live without vision care.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

32. I'm one of them.

I'm very nearsighted.

My glasses are either on my face, or within arm's reach on the nightstand when I sleep.

I focus at about six inches in my GOOD eye.

[Dr Fate]

26. Not true- I heard that the Death Panels will be made up of C student dentists.

n/t

[Touchdown]

28. We don't want our teeth to be trusted to the likes of the British system!

NOOOOOO!

[quantass]

29. Problems with passing Healthcare as it is...adding dental is not important

Let's be honest here...Dental care, although i want it too, is not as important as primary healthcare...and last i checked they are getting hammered for having it. There is no way dental care would pass with any bill without being one of the 1st items being cut. It would be nice but i am thinking realistically and there is no chance and if i had the power i too would not include it....to many other pressing matters.

[gauguin57]

30. Hemorrhoid treatment needs to be covered.

After all, Glenn Beck claimed he almost died from complications from hemorrhoid surgery.

(For him, that's brain surgery).

[Hippo_Tron]

31. But would that mean my teeth would have to go before a death panel?

[Cleita]

33. It's included in HR676 the House healthcare bill that is being ignored

in favor of the corporate and insurance friendly HR3200. The irony is that HR676 could cost half of what HR3200 would, and I'm being conservative. Also it would have better comprehensive coverage than any private insurance could offer even with government subsidies. But we can't do the smart thing being it's commie and all. :eyes:

[ensho]

35. medicare should cover all dental not just dental surgery

nt

[denturist]

36. ADA's bad breath

The American Dental Association whines about not being
included in healthcare talks. Hopefully the American Dental
Association is getting a taste of its own bad breath regarding
its policies of suppressing competition. 

No doubt, we need a national healthcare emphasis on the
connection of good oral health and its relationship to a
healthy body, mind and spirit. The American Dental Association
wastes so much time and money pushing professions away from
the table, preventing professions from serving those we have
been trained and educated to serve.
 
The American Dental Association uses money to fight Dental
Hygienists from having independent practices, the ADA fights
and prevents Denturists from having independent practices and
funnels money to state dental associations to prosecute
Denturists so they can’t provide affordable denture care to
people with disparities. The ADA, waste money fighting Alaska,
to prevent Dental Health Aide Therapists from providing dental
services to Natives of Alaska living in remote areas.

Healthcare reform can not be about greed.   It could be a team
effort and I’m here to serve.

Gary W. Vollan L.D.
State Coordinator, Wyoming State Denturist Association
www.wysda.org

[Becky72]

37. Dentals cost can screw up a person's whole checking account

It's that serious.

[donheld]

38. Mental health should also be included!

[Brother Buzz]

39. Speaking of dental care, when does Orly Taitz chime in on the subject?

Inquiring minds want to know.

[kas125]

40. Every morning that I wake up and discover that my teeth haven't

killed me during my sleep, I'm surprised. I've had stomach problems and surgeries all my life and all the throwing up has caused major problems with my teeth. I doubt that they were ever very good - both my parents had dentures before they were twenty two years old. I went to a dentist five years ago who advertises that they have payment plans and at the time I was working and had dental insurance. I scrimped and saved and took $1,500 cash with me and expected to use their payment plan for whatever the insurance wouldn't pay. All it actually paid for was the x-rays. They told me that it would cost over eight thousand dollars and their payment plan was that I'd pay the $1,500 today then pay $1,000 per week for the next seven weeks. I told them that they might as well ask me for a million dollars a week because that was much more than I even made and that I couldn't do it. They wouldn't budge. I wound up using the $1,500 for a root canal and temporary fix on a front tooth (and that temp is about to fall off, I just noticed earlier tonight that it's got a little piece missing) and never went back. Now I'm not working, I had to become the full time caregiver for an elderly parent who acts more like a four year old than an adult and I have no income. Because of my stomach surgery, I'm not supposed to use any pain reliever but Tylenol, but I take a bottle of Ibuprofen a week anyway because if I didn't, I couldn't stand the pain. I have had to accept the fact that one of these days my teeth will kill me.