Dental plans in each state? | Arthritis Information

Is that the govt, won't tell anyone , the EXACT Cutoff Date

We mostly know, that its sometime in May, but thats it. I've spoken to the office managers and they're just as frustrated as we are!

Thats what wants me make, me tear my hair out... the Govt not telling ANyonE or staff, when its actually going to happen.

So, i'm rushing around like a mad dog, to get everything taken care of!!

This last month, April, ugh, I was supposed to actually get things DONE... but nooo, i had to have

three separate consults, one was supposed to be a specialist and wasn't... grrrrrrrr

(That cost a lot of gas, to get there, thru my provider).

The 3rd appt, new and different dr, ( NINE bucks to get there, by special bus)

I finally said YES, i'm changing dentists.. they did a full workup of xrays..(the other 2, only did partials.) They made an appt, for 3 extractions, next wk.. eeek..

then I have to have cleaning done, and a false tooth put in.

Dental here, will pay for crowns and false teeth, for your upper teeth, but NOT your back teeth! Oh yeah and i have blush um 4 cavaties...

Its the aging process, I swear i brush my teeth, floss at least 3x a day, obviously the coke a cola isn't helping much, LOL

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So whats the dental process, like in YOUR STATE ? :)

ps: since i'm too tired to figure it out myself :P, how do i get my money back, for paying for my prescriptions? thks batting eyelashes, does that help? lol

Have a good day all~

Who is cutting off dental in Ca? Medicare? I don't like the sound of that. Dental disease is an open window for illnesses to sneak in. I'm still in the applying process for SSDisability and if I get it, I will be eligible for Medicare in 2 yrs--not sure if from application date or when stopped working, so for me, either April 1 or Oct 1 --2010. I want to have help with dental costs. I don't think Medicare coverage includes dental benefits.

I think Whispered is referring to a dental program offered through California's Medicaid program. Because of a multi billion dollar budget shortfall, the state has had to make cuts to, and in some cases, eliminate social and health programs, like this dental program. Many states have had to make similar cuts to state health programs due to decreased tax revenues as a result of the recession.

In May, Californians will be voting on several propositions having to do with the state budget, if they do not pass, additional cuts may have to be made.

Joie2009-05-02 13:25:26Some of the Medicare Advantage plans, that you can get instead of standard Medicare, offer an option that covers dental, vision, chiropractic, accupuncture, etc. There is an extra cost for these, but mine is only .00/ month.

I don't know who is trying to stop dental, but I haven't heard anything about it from Health Net Seniority Plus. I just spoke to them yesterday about a dental question and they didn't indicate that there would be a change in coverage. I hope not, because as those of us with Sjogren's know, we really need to keep on top of our dental check-ups, cleanings, etc. Not just Sjogren's, of course. Some of the chronic illnesses we develope as we age can really be damaging to our teeth and gums.

Hi Nini!

I think what Whispered is referring to is Denti-Cal, a program through Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid Program. The link below is to an article about the elimination of Denti-Cal coverage.

http://www.californiahealthline.org/Features/2009/Dental-Advocates-Lobby-Against-Eliminating-Adult-DentiCal-Coverage.aspx
I have great health insurance paid 100% by my employer....I do not however have any dental coverage at all. Trust me; I know the pain of paying 100% of dental care. I've spent more than ,000 in the last few years and I've got several thousand more to go before I get my mouth in good shape.

For those still young enough not to have any dental problems.....see your dentist on a regular basis. Take care of problems early. It will be far less expensive if you catch things as they happen verses being dental phobic for years and letting things get out of control before addressing them. That was my problem. I blame myself....if I had started seeing my dentist on a regular basis in my 20ties I would not have the problems I have today.

Like Lovie, we have 100% coverage for medical but dental is 100% out of pocket for me. Fortunately, I have most of my work done by an American dentist that practices both in the states and in Mexico. The cost to use her services in Mexico are about 60% less than the cost in the U.S. The quality of dental work is the same. Her office is very high tech and the Mexican staff are friendly and kind. I just had root planing done on one quadrant and a gum abcess worked on and the cost was .00. It would have cost me "0.00 in her office in the U.S. I was lucky to find the right dentist. Even though I had my teeth cleaned every 6 months with a dental exam I developed a gum abcess, had to have a root canal, and the gum abcess has been persistent. Since we're on dmards and biologics they said to have dental checkups every 3 months.

If you don't have dental insurance then it's difficult financially to have a checkup every 3 months. I've budgeted for an exam every 3 months. Even with dental insurance I don't think they'll pay for an exam and cleaning every 3 months. They have limitations with no exceptions. One area that I'm going to pursue is my health insurance coverage for dental benefits related to a medical condition. If RA and the meds to treat it are the culprit for the dental problems, why wouldn't my medical insurance cover it? It might be a long fight but one that might be beneficial to my pocketbook. Lindy