Attorney California Home Negligence Nursing

Posted on November 22, 2011 by Admin
Attorney California Home Negligence Nursing

Attorney California Home Negligence Nursing

Dental care is cost-prohibitive for uninsured and low-income individuals and often, out of necessity, receives less priority compared to more pressing financial or medical concerns. Untreated dental problems can lead to pain, systemic infection, tooth loss and orthodontic failure. A 2003 study by the U.S. Surgeon General found that 108 million Americans do not have dental insurance, while a study in 2008 by the Kaiser Commission reports that there is inadequate access to affordable care even among adults who have dental insurance. There are a few government and charitable programs to cover the costs of dental care, particularly for vulnerable populations (e.g. disabled, elderly, pregnant mothers), but there are also programs in place to assist uninsured adults of any background.

Medicaid Coverage

Medicaid provides health care benefits for low-income pregnant women, children, individuals over 65 and individuals with vision impairments or other disabilities. Currently, Medicaid coverage for dental care does not extend to adults over age 21. However, pregnant women, of all ages, are eligible for limited Medicaid dental coverage in the state of California. The Immigrant Children’s Health Improvement Act also provides federal funds to cover the dental care of legally-residing immigrant pregnant women.

Medicare Coverage

Medicare offers health care benefits for all individuals 65 and over, people of any age who have kidney failure or long-term kidney disease and individuals who are permanently disabled. Currently, Medicare's dental coverage only extends to cases associated with underlying medical conditions or in conjunction with other surgical treatments.