45 million Americans don’t have dental insurance
A government report has revealed that an estimated 45 million Americans don’t have dental insurance plans.
The report, which was commissioned by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that most people who were provided with private medical insurance by their employer also had a dental policy; however, around 70 percent of those who had to arrange their own medical insurance didn’t have dental coverage.
A lack of dental insurance and rising dentistry costs have been blamed for oral health problems across the country, with the economic downturn hitting families hard. Those without insurance claim that they cannot afford dental treatment and subsequently, oral health amongst low income families and the unemployed has declined. The popularity of free clinics and one-off free dental events has confirmed the huge number of people struggling to access affordable dental care and many are still going without treatment because they can’t afford to pay the bills.
The recent health reform bill will make health insurance compulsory, but it will not affect dental coverage amongst adults; children will be required to have dental insurance. Many people called for the inclusion of visual and dental care for adults to ensure people were covered for these types of treatment; however, the current bill only stipulates that adults must have medical insurance.
Researchers found that those with a higher income were more likely to have both health and dental insurance; most had insurance through their employers but some had additional plans for their families. People from low income families and those without a job were much less likely to have dental insurance, according to the report.
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