Louise Slaughter: On Dentures

[vaberella]

Shit...it's unbelievable in America but I have a similar story.

For those who are unaware Slaughter mentions the story of a woman who's sister had died and she, because she had no health insurance, is using her sisters dentures in order to eat. Of course the dentures don't fit and Slaughter was appalled by all the nitpicking and she said things had to get done in order to help the people because we're leaving them behind the way the discussion is going. ie Also calls to kill the bill---I send that little note out to all the DUers who keep pushing the killing of the bill either because it doesn't have a PO or because they think it's horrible. There are a lot of good things in this bill despite the many things that are hated.

That being said, onto my story about the dentures. My mum works with older people as a Home Attendant and one of the people she worked with, when she give him food and he was eating. She noticed he had a scissor in his hands and he was cutting the meeting into teeny tiny pieces. When my mother asked him why, he stated, "It's my teeth." Basically a man on medicare, who was covered, couldn't even get teeth because of the expense it seems. So as another thing as to why this bill is important is because it addresses the many problems---many many many many many problems medicare faces. Yes, generally people are happy, however there are problems and it doesn't meet everything since in some cases cost are too much.

[CountAllVotes]

1. Medicare doesn't cover dentures

nor hearing aids, nor lots of other things.

Those scooters everyone seems to think are paid for by Medicare ARE NOT paid for by Medicare. They might pay for a tiny piece of one if you have a serious enough problem/disease but the bulk of it will be paid for by you. If you have a supplemental plan it might pay for another piece of it if you are very lucky.

People need to wake up and realize that Medicare is not all it is trumped up to be.

:kick:

[Jennicut]

2. I never knew that. I know they claim to pay for diabetic meters.

I wish they would have paid for mine but of course I am too young to be on Medicare. I wonder if it was partly covering them.

[vaberella]

4. Yuppers. I know many people in New York who are suffering from that.

It's a bloody nightmare and I don't deny many people like it. But overall it's problematic.

[DesertFlower]

6. you are right. one needs to buy

a supplemental policy from an insurance company to pick up the costs that are not covered. still dentures would not be covered.

[CountAllVotes]

7. you would need dental insurance

and no, a supplemental policy would most likely not cover dentures. I can think of one that might - one offered by the Federal government to its employees/retirees. It is very expensive I will add.

[Born_A_Truman]

3. Disgraceful!

Louise tried to bring some humanity back into the discussion, but the GOP could care less about her constituent. She's not their base.

[vaberella]

5. Exactly. n/t

[Kirbster]

8. God bless Louise Slaughter!

She rescued the morning session from becoming too eye-glazingly wonky.

[dmr]

9. I'm happy she brought up that domestic violence is considered as a preexisiting condition

in some states. That is freaking shameful.

[dflprincess]

10. Neither the House or Senate bill cover dental (or vision) for adults n/t