I have over 100 ins. co pre approved patient procedures waiting. Patients can't afford the copay.

[Mika]

These copays are pretty low too - $200-$600 for needed treatments.

No matter the payment plan I offer or fee reduction, they are too scared to spend any money on their health care.

I have never seen times like this in the dental field.

:scared:

---

[Kookaburra]

1. I know what you mean

Been needing to get this broken tooth fixed for a while, but I really can't afford to do it. It may need a crown (dentist wasn't positive about that), but even with dental insurance it's still going to set me back $500. Being on unemployment, $500 to fix a tooth is now considered a luxury.

It sucks.

[Mika]

3. I am very sorry to hear this.

I hope you get back up and running soon.

:hug:

---

[Donnachaidh]

2. $600 is *low* to you?

Have you asked your patient what *they* think *low* is? Six Hundred bucks to some is RENT for a month. A car payment or two. Books for their college aged kids for ONE TERM.

If you think times like these are bad for you, just imagine what it's like for the poor bastard who has lost his job or his home.

:eyes:

[hobbit709]

4. $600 is about $550 out of my league.

[Mika]

6. Of course not. not to the people who can't afford it.

In terms of relative costs of dentistry, $600 for some major treatments is low.

The problem is lack of jobs and low wages.

Personally, I'm for nationalizing health care including dentistry.

---

[Liberal_in_LA]

21. $200 to $600 is low for geting a mouthful of dental treatment.

[Catherina]

5. People can barely afford house payments right now

You can only squeeze them so dry before there's nothing left.

I work and wouldn't be able to afford a $600 co-pay, not unless you gave me a year to pay it off and gave me the leeway to miss a payment or two.

It's scary. I've already told my family that if I get sick and need care, just to let me go instead.

[proudohioan]

7. Low co-pays are in the eye of the beholder.

For a lot of folks, $200 - $600 might mean the difference of paying mortgage/rent or putting food on the table. And it's a lousy choice to have to make.

And thank you for providing your perspective on how this lousy economy is affecting you as a dental professional.

Our politicians don't seem to understand the domino theory of what happens when you set policies and agendas in place that ultimately result in millions of folks being unemployed/underemployed.

When jobs and wages get decimated, every one of us feels the sting sooner or later.

Best of luck to you!

[MicaelS]

8. The real problem is dental "insurance"...

It's a joke, compared to medical insurance. The cost of coverage is terrible, coverage is minimal, and the co-pays are far too high, in proportion to medical insurance. If medical insurance was like dental insurance, no one could afford treatment for anything but the most minor medical problems.

[blueamy66]

13. Exactly.

Dental insurance is a scam.

My company, just this year, is asking us to pay a monthly fee for it. I opted out.

Why spend $500 a year with a $50 deductible and a $1000 max? I'll go pay $35 for "new patient cleaning and x-rays" twice a year and spend $70. If I need something major, I'm driving to Mexico.

I was quoted $1800 for an implant last year, when I was insured. Are you kidding me? Who the hell has $1800 in the bank to pay for a dental procedure. Not me!

Sorry for the dentists, but dental care charges are freaking ridiculous!

[madrchsod]

9. i`m one of those who can`t afford two non life threating medical procedures

i can`t afford the 20% the insurance does`t pay. plus 1500 dollars of dental work that the insurance does`t cover.

[Leftist Agitator]

10. I have a tooth that needs to come out, badly.

I would have preferred to get it fixed, but that wasn't going to happen once I found out that it was going to cost me over $1000. Now I can't afford to get the damn thing pulled. The fucking dental school wants $90 to pull the tooth. I think I'm just going to get good and liquored up one day and do it myself.

[alittlelark]

11. We have a friend who flew to Brazil for dental treatment.

It would have cost him $6000 here (root canals, crowns...). He stayed 4 days and saved 0ver $4000.

[Donnachaidh]

15. this is another untouchable subject -- how obscenely HIGH dental costs are in this country

I really don't have much pity for a dentist that quotes a cost of 10 THOUSAND dollars to correct dental problems without batting an eyelash, or thinking that the price is OBSCENE.

I'm sure all the folks standing on line at foodbanks have little sympathy, either. Of course, if you try to talk about the obscene charges, you get snarled at for *picking on* dentists.

And don't even get me started on the *options* offered in light of full up front payment that includes something akin to a loan, with an 18 per cent interest fee -- sooooo economical for the working class.... :sarcasm:

[Romulox]

12. As long as they have "access to health insurance" there is officially no problem. nt

[proudohioan]

16. Yes, what could possibly go wrong?????

All is right with the world!

:sarcasm:

[jody]

14. Is it true that many DDs in general dentistry make much more than MDs in internal medicine? n/t

[SocialistLez]

17. $200-600 is not low in my book

Sure I could save up for it but damn.

I only make $8.00 an hour and I work part-time.

[Mika]

18. It is low. Its your wages that are too low.

1st, I believe that dentistry should be part of a national health care system.

2nd, wages for the working class are far too low.

3rd, a dental office is hugely expensive to operate (especially so if one pays fair wages to staff and fair prices for products, like labs that employ people too).

4th, many dentists don't make oodles and oodles of money, and some make far far too much.


:hi:

---

[SocialistLez]

19. I hear ya, I really do.

:hi:

I personally would have killed for a $200-600 co-pay.

We have dental insurance and I need to get my wisdom teeth out. I was looking at $1,200 for getting four of them taking out.

Thankfully my teeth have stopped hurting.

[proud patriot]

20. I owe my dentist 200 dollars

it was my copay ... was an emergancy root canal .

I wish I had the money to pay .

[Mika]

22. I've gone into the zero interest small/med loan business too.

If I could actually collect what is owed to me (credit that I willingly extended), I'd be doing better.


:hi:

---

[kestrel91316]

23. People can't afford their cat's annual exam and routine vaccinations,

and that comes in at under $90 at my place, which is far from the most expensive in these parts.

City tax lady inadvertently spilled the beans that a BIG fancy referral practice near me also owes them overdue $ for their business license renewal.......so it's not just me.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

24. I hope you never install Hg. It's a neurotoxin and very bad stuff.

Dentists can't talk about it either, thanks to the ADA restricting their free speech rights.