Patients feel ache of state Medicaid cuts

From the Detroit News,

"Automotive retirees aren't the only ones rushing to get dentist appointments this month.

Medicaid patients are swarming dental offices, too, hoping to get last-minute work done before the state-run medical program stops paying for cleanings, fillings, partials and dentures at month's end as a part of broader cutbacks announced in May to help balance the state's distressed budget.

The cuts affect adults age 21 and older covered by Medicaid, the federal-state program that provides health care coverage for certain low-income individuals and families.

Of Michigan's 1.6 million Medicaid enrollees, about 610,000 are adults. The budget cuts also eliminate other benefits, such as vision care, chiropractic services and podiatry, and reduce by 4 percent across-the-board Medicaid payments to physicians, hospitals and other providers, including dentists."

And while most people consider basic health care the fundamental problem in the United States, you can bet Dental care is even worse. Time and time I have heard reports of members not even low-income who consistently skip dental cleanings because of cost-related issues.

Unfortunately for those who skip, an oral examination can spot signs of illness in ways that some doctors appointments cannot. And simply, the pain of not being able to fix a throbbing tooth makes me cringe a bit. Lets hope congress figures something out that will bring benefits to so many suffering because of no benefits.