Uninsured Patients Turning to Dental Discount Sites
Uninsured patients turning to dental discount sites
A growing number of uninsured patients in the USA are turning to discount sites to save money on medical and dental treatments, it has been revealed.
Mark Stella is just one of thousands using discount sites to pay for the treatment he needs. Mark cancelled his insurance premium after it increased to $400 per month and visited a dentist using a Groupon discount voucher, which entitled him to a cleaning treatment, examination and a dental X-ray for $39 each, a great deal, as dentists usually charge in excess of $150 per treatment.
The price of dental care is a problem for an increasing number of people. In the last few years many have lost their jobs and as a result they have also lost employee benefits, including health and dental insurance.
Free dental events have also seen a massive increase in popularity and some people are so desperate to see a dentist that they are willing to wait for hours and queue in extreme weather conditions.
Sites like Groupon and LivingSocial are known for offering short-term discounts for restaurants and beauty treatments but they have started to branch out and offer a wider range of discounts, including those for local dental offices.
Mr Stella said that the voucher he got from Groupon helped to fill the gap that had been left by cancelling his insurance premium.
Despite the obvious advantages for patients, especially those who have low incomes or no insurance, dentists are worried about the offers, as it is beneficial to see the same dentist on a regular basis and seeing a number of different professionals could cause problems.
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