Finding ways to solve dental health problems often leads to an insurance model, but even in countries with a developed system of medical insurance, not everything is all right. The report on the results of the functioning of such a system in the United States “2013 Annual Survey of Dental Care Affordability and Accessibility” is an example.
It turned out that almost 70% of the uninsured and over 50% of the insured survey participants stated that they had postponed dental treatment in the past because of its high cost. Almost half of the US population (148 million) does not have dental insurance. 56% of respondents did not apply for preventive care, and 18% did not visit the dentist during the last ten years. Also, the survey showed that the high cost of treatment and opacity of steel prices in 2013, the main reasons that prevented to seek dental care, both insurance holders and uninsured Americans.
What Is Dental Insurance?
The program of dentistry cannot be purchased separately, and it always goes as an addition to the standard Vhi policy. The usual list of dental services often includes:
• consultation and diagnostics;
• diagnostic studies, including X-rays;
• therapy (treatment of caries and pulpitis, removal of nerves and anesthesia);
• surgery;
• treatment of the oral mucosa;
• round-the-clock emergency care;
• removal of plaque and stone;
• covering teeth with fluorinated varnishes (these procedures are performed no more than once or twice a year).
The list of services covered by standard medical insurance looks ascetic, but sometimes you can negotiate with the insurer and include implantation services or prosthetics. Agree to cover this type of treatment, so the patient must carefully read the insurance contract. Almost always, VHI policies restrict the actions of the clinic and agree to pay for prosthetics only in emergency cases, for example, in maxillofacial injuries.