Advocacy for Dental and Other Programs for Low-income Adults

As a U.S. citizen and long-term resident of the state of Texas, I have long since been aware that a certain group of adults are being overlooked by our state and federal government agencies.
I will start with lack of dental insurance or programs for assistance with dental care.

The majority of programs, nation-wide are geared towards children under the age of eighteen. Even low-income seniors are overlooked in this area. While I agree that children are vitally important, I must protest the blind-eye that is turned upon adults.

Neither Medicaid nor Medicare offers any type of coverage for adults. I believe that most adults agree, that their dental needs are as important as persons under the age of eighteen. Dental insurance is very costly and often time is not affordable to persons that are disabled and/or elderly. Even dental emergencies are not covered by any government programs.

If you are an adult that falls in this category; be mindful that this is an election year. Hopefully it is not too late to generate interest from the politicians, to advocate the need for this type of assistance. Even if this agenda does not pertain to you, personally; you probably know someone that would benefit from this assistance.

Anyone that has suffered toothache pain knows how important it is to seek relief. When accompanied by infection, this becomes a dental emergency. Why are there, no programs to help this group of citizens? Do you think that there needs to be assistance?

I have found one agency that seems to offer services for health and dental, but you must have a good credit rating. (www.carecredit.com...). There are many low and no income persons who simply do not have a good credit rating.

If our government can provide all sorts of programs for illegal immigrants, then surely it can do the same for it's citizens. Would definitely appreciate your opinions on this topic.

Although I have more than one program targeted here, for government scrutiny; I feel that dental care is among one of the most important. I would like input from the ATS members on other programs that also need to be addressed. Thank you for your cooperation.

My next bone-of-contention, concerns lack of health care for persons that are not eligible for Social Security Retirement nor S.S. Disability.

The mandates for qualifying for disability income, have become increasingly difficult for those applying.

If there is enough interest generated on this issue; I intend to start bombarding our elected and soon-to-be-elected officials with these statistics.

Please submit your opinions. I also want to hear from those who do not agree with advocating new programs, for these targeted areas. Please add your reasons on why you do not agree. Thank you.

Salt Lake City Utah has a free...DONATED DENTAL CLINIC.......where dentists can volunteer to take a day or two of scheduling....
Not very many dentists will volunteer though, and the ones who do are there over and over and over....I think dentists who practice near the clinic should be required to give so many days per year....
They do NOT make appointments at the clinic....it is first come first serve and they open doors at 9 am. They can only accommodate about 15 patients per day, and if someones mouth is all swollen they go ahead of the line as an emergency. If you really want to MAKE SURE you will be seen you better be outside the door by 3 am and I am not kidding you.

People from Arizona.......Wyoming......California......Idaho......Nevada, all converge to this clinic.....homeless folks will hop trains, or folks will hitchhike here for help.
I think every dam state AUGHT to be doing the same thing....it is sad to see how far some poor people are forced to travel to get some help.

I am VERY PROUD of SLC's DONATED DENTAL CLINIC......some well off people joined funds to build the place...... and keep it stocked.
They ask for a donation for services rendered from the patients but do NOT require it.
They do not work on making your teeth pretty.....they are more prone to pulling your tooth than doing a root canal. The budget they work on doesnt allow for beautification of homeless mouths.....
You don't have to be homeless to qualify for services.....just under the poverty level. MANY MANY of the working poor of Utah that have no insurance rely on this clinic for the whole family's dental needs.

Someday...... when win the lottery, I will give them a donation they will never forget.


[edit on 30-6-2008 by theRiverGoddess]

reply to post by theRiverGoddess


Bravo! Thank you for your interest on this subject. I see that you have already given some thought to this agenda. I agree with your submission. Thank you.

I say get a job and quit looking for hand outs My dentist takes payments
and that's what I do when needed..

I know I will get chastised but really people what would you have done a hundred years ago starved probably I don't like the government programs because they are very very inefficient the private programs are much more efficient.

There is a reason why people don't qualify for SS disability and or SS benefits
either they never payed or they can work some type of job ..

Having said all of this I came from a poor family my grandfather had to retire
early due to injuries from WWII and he did just fine and didn't take any money from anybody when I say retire the V.A. told him retire or lose the benefits you have for when you get older but he made things work it wasn't always elegant and it wasn't always fun but he made it work..

reply to post by geocom


Thank you for your input. I definitely want to hear from both sides.

Although I do not totally agree with you. Things have changed drastically since WWII.

Could any of you add to this thought?

reply to post by jameswillard


I hate to always be the voice of evil...But at least I'll keep it short.
Poor people are stupid.
Stupid people are poor.
Stupid people should die.
There is no reason to do anything much to prevent poor people from dying off faster than rich people. Statistically stupid people breed more than smart people in any case.
This line of reasoning tends to offend because of leftover Christian thoughts that we are all equal because we are all children of God and we all have souls.
Even the majority of Americans who really don't believe in their ostensible religion worth a darn still hold this unexamined mystical tenet tenderly.

Kudos to the state of Maryland!

Maryland Primary Adult Care Program (PAC) is run by the state's Medicaid program. PAC helps low-income individuals, age 19 and older, pay for the full range of pharmacy services covered under the Medical Assistance Program. Required income of less than 116% of the Federal Poverty Level, assets of less than $4,000 (or $6,000 for a family), and citizenship requirements. There are no enrollment caps. The PAC program covers

* basic health services through HealthChoice selected managed care organizations
* outpatient visits to a counselor or psychiatrist for mental health services
* Lower-priced or no-cost prescription drugs

www.atdn.org...

I certainly hope that many, if not all states will follow suit. Even dental is covered.

reply to post by nine-eyed-eel


I'll be a bit kinder to you.

I hope that proverbial rug, never gets yanked out from underneath you. Otherwise, you might have to eat your own evil, unkind, hostile words!

My job does not offer dental insurance, I signed up with a program that I saw on TV offering discounts for services, turned out to be no good. I have spoke with a couple of agencies that will sell me dental, but not cover pre existing , only new issues after the first exam. There is no dental help program in my area. A couple of months ago my wisdom tooth broke off at the gum line leaving a jagged peice of tooth there to cut my jaw up and irritate my tongue. I am currently paying, up front mind you, a dentist and until I pay off a minimum of 1000.00 he will begin to work with me. That was the best I could do. I imagine my story is echoed all across the nation.

reply to post by nine-eyed-eel


Are stupid animals poor too? I noticed that is under your nickname on your avatar. LOL! If you really feel this way you should get help for all that anger aimed at the poor.

[edit on 30-6-2008 by space cadet]

reply to post by space cadet


Exactly!

But the rich and priviliged, might never understand the agony of situations like this.

reply to post by sizzle


When I see cold hearted posts like his I just picture somebody with no friends, family not being priority, you know someone in the bloodline might need something one day so they distance themselves, I bet they spend many a lonely night, maybe at the computer...........spewing all that anger.........

Originally posted by sizzle
reply to post by nine-eyed-eel

 

I'll be a bit kinder to you.

I hope that proverbial rug, never gets yanked out from underneath you. Otherwise, you might have to eat your own evil, unkind, hostile words!

No no I myself am currently uninsured, bad teeth, menial job...spent long periods eating out of garbage cans...I'm fairly post-rug by most bourgeois standards...But I got to call the facts like I see them, right, the world is as it is regardless of whether or not it redounds to my immediate current benefit.

reply to post by jameswillard


I can't agree with you more and thank you so much for putting this up. I am a stay at home mom with two kids and my husband is the one who brings home the money. It is so hard to make it these days but we can not even afford daycare so thats why I am home. I had a tooth that got so bad that my whole face was swollen and we had no choice but to use money that we had saved up to fix my tooth and believe me it was not cheap. My mother is the one that had to buy the kids christmas that year. Now here I am again with the same problem but with the other side of my mouth and just don't have the money to fix it. The dental office keeps calling me and I have to explain that I don't have the money. Altogether just to fix my whole mouth is $2,000.00. I don't have that type of money so getting help would sure help. Thank you so much for posting this on here I was starting to think I was the only one who felt this way.
[email protected] Amanda Kamau

Here in Calif there are many dental schools that people getting their accredidation will do dental work for price of materials,they must have a licensed dentist observe them,this is an alternative,but I know how expensive they can get,I got a quote to veneer my teeth and 2 implants,I was quoted 38,000 dollars,big bucks for a nice grill huh