7/22/2008
dentist shopping
bashing u.s. health insurance is a sport not invented by michael moore but certainly amplified by his movie "sicko". i am no great fan of the confusing u.s. insurance situation. but due to circumstances i have to deal with it. it is my least favorite part of being here.
just recently i found out that my u.s. insurance does not cover any teeth related issues. this seems to be no surprise to u.s. americans who i understand often just pay the dentist's bill and not bother with a separarte dental insurance.
so i went dentist shopping for an initial exam with x-rays and teeth cleaning.
from about a dozen dentist i found online in the city about half where on the other side of town, within the other half one demanded roughly $150 dollars, another one was just doing braces, the next one was sick and ouf of office, one suggested something with fluoride.
since no evaluation from friends, relatives or web-related was available i judging by the voice and friendliness of the lady on the phone and i opted for a rougly $100 solution close by.
in germany the scenario would have been (when i was still within my family insurance, an option that vanishes when turning 25): i call my mom's dentist, whom i trust 99% (due to literally nerve-racking childhood experience there is no 100% trust between me and them). for a yearly check-up i would have paid none; only 10 euros general fee for any treatment plus follow-ups per quarter.
okay, the cleaning was not covered by my german dentist either but the basic tooth exam is something you don't have any excuse for because it comes for free since it is included in the universal insurance germans enjoy.
comparing insurances is complicated. but in germany the handful of dak, aok, barmer and the like are what we call legal insurances and usually a steady companion since birth.
in the usa i feel lost in a vast insurance company landscape. as for now i didn't have a choice. international students have to accept the university's insurance.
but why don't they include my teeth?
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4 comments:
Stine,
This is a question I often ponder, "why don't they include teeth." When I was a student and at times with out dental insurance, I would simply pray that nothing went wrong with my teeth. Dental surgery is expensive and the health insurance companies, in my opinion, are one of the strongest influential groups in the United States.
Why did the U.S. change from a free, smoke wherever, whenever country, to smoking = evil? Why did T.V. sets get ambushed with anti-smoking public announcements? Is it because they really care about your health? Or is it that the U.S. insurance companies were shelling out big bucks to cover the health risks of a smoker?
Do not get me wrong, smoking is not the best habit. but when the country goes from one extreme to another in a matter of a year, it troubles me and I question the motives behind the change.
Every campaign year, each president talks about the insurance situation, yet I have not noticed a change. No wait, I am wrong, I have noticed a change -- it is more expensive and restrictive each passing year.
Natalie
It is the most concerning issue of my U.S. life. I find it arbitrary that teeth are not considered a health issue worth including into a health insurance.
The smoking ban from this perspective is interesting to look at. Like you said in your blog, in Europe smoking is still much more prevalent and not portrayed as outright evil. Yet, our health insurances are more inclusive and extensive despite this still existing health risk.
I think if health insurance in the U.S. want to save money they should reward people with healthy eating habits. Just recently on the news an obesity report stated that the number of near-obese and obese U.S. people has grown 2%.
The L.A. city council put a moratorium on new fast food restaurants in a low income area. And California has legally banned trans fats. These are good steps in the right direction. When will there be federal action to improve public health?
A reader sent me an interesting though frightening U.S. News & World Report article summing up U.S. insurance industry. The articles also exposes flaws in the British system.
http://health.usnews.com/articles/
health/2008/08/25/how-crafty-health-
insurers-are-denying-care.html
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