being a poor SAHM

[treemom2]

You know, most of the time I am okay with being financially poor as a SAHM because of the benefits to my children, but today it totally sucks. Went to the dentist earlier in the week to get a tooth pulled and he couldn't do it--too much infection so I couldn't get numb enough and he was afraid of damaging me because my roots were so long so he sent be to an oral surgeon. Just got home from the surgeon who wants $1200 up front--I DON'T HAVE $1200!!!!!! And of course they won't take payment plans! I do have insurance, but they will only cover $300 of that and no one here will file the insurance, I have to pay up front and pay it all on my own!! I also have medicaid and the closest oral surgeon is over three hours away who supposedly takes it, but I have been on the phone all day calling all over the state and Guess what? None of them will take me! A couple will only see children, one of them will only see people in his own county, etc. . . Crap, here come the tears again. What am I supposed to do--I have like a huge infection in my mouth and I can't do anything about it

[muttix2]

Try calling Medicaid. There is a number for your health plan, if you don't have that number, just call any Medicaid number that you have. Tell them that you need to find an oral surgeon close to you that takes Medicaid. They'll give you the number of your health plan people. When you call them ask them to set up the appointment for you (after telling them what you've been through). Also, if you don't have transportation tell them that, there's this service that will give you a ride to and from. When you're on the phone with Medicaid they'll look up the closest doctor to you and call them on three way to make the appointment. Have your Medicaid number and calendar (so you can tell them if the date is ok) ready. Hope you're able to get it taken care of soon!

[treemom2]

I did call Medicaid and they gave me the names of all the oral surgeons in the state that accept medicaid--there were five. I called all of them and only one will (maybe) take me--he's 3 hours away and I will have to go first for a consult and then for the extraction. They couldn't make the appt when I called because they only take 5 medicaid patients a week so I am supposed to call back on Monday to see when they will get me in. I also called Medicaid about transportation and they said they can't drive me out of the county for services so we will have to drive on our own. At least I am hopeful I will be fixed soon.

[whimsy]

I hear ya sister.

[willowsmama]

Medicaid/Medical Assistance will force a provider to get you in. Tell them you have called a bunch of providers and gotten denied or the 1 that will see you is 3 hrs. away. They've did this for me several times when I called 20 different dental offices in a 50 mile radius of my home and couldn't get in. Many dentists have to limit the # of MA patients they take because MA pays so little for services.

Try calling a college that has a dental school. they are always taking patients. The appts. take quite a bit longer but the one in my area is 45% cheaper.

[treemom2]

Originally Posted by willowsmama

Try calling a college that has a dental school. they are always taking patients. The appts. take quite a bit longer but the one in my area is 45% cheaper.

I hate to be so negative but the nearest dental school is a little over 5 hours away--however, if all else fails I may be forced to drive up there to get this fixed because I don't think I can stand the pain much longer.

[Greaseball]

Try calling the ombudsman. When I called the one in my state, to protest Medicaid telling me every week that they were cancelling my coverage for our home birth when I was about 30 weeks, and then changing their minds, then the next week it was "Well, we aren't going to pay for it after all..." he was really helpful. He answered the phone on the first ring - no menu, no holding! He was really nice; he congratulated me on my pregnancy and asked about symptoms. He fixed everything and got them to stop sending me threatening letters. It took days of searching on the internet to find his number - of course Medicaid isn't going to put it in anything they send to clients, because then the clients might call him and get services! - but if you can find it, it is so worth it.

There seems to be a belief that for the poor, teeth are optional.

[RyvreWillow]

Ugh, yeah...last i heard, Missouri medicaid totally cut out dental benefits for adults. Kids can't get into a dentist right now either, because they're only seeing the last of the adults who were on a waiting lists, so it sucks to be anyone right now, lol. I'm surprised noone has assasinated our governor by now, between the cuts he's madethis year in general, services he's taken from the elderly, and the thousands of disabled people who are now in nursing homes, because they can no longer get in-home care. His goal, literally, is to completely eliminate the medicaid system by 2010. He's obviously taking the fast track.

[Greaseball]

I wouldn't consider seeing a medicaid dentist again anyway; they have done nothing but make things worse for me when I've seen them. Back when I qualified for medicaid I was spending hundreds of dollars out of pocket to go see another dentist, someone who didn't accuse me of vegging out in front of the TV if I was a few minutes late; someone who saw to it that I was comfortable during all procedures. I used credit cards and the majority of my student loan money and it was well worth it. I'll never see a free dentist again.

There are some countries, apparently, where dead people pile up in the streets because they can't afford basic healthcare. I guess that's what America wants to be, as opposed to a country that spends money on people who want to have teeth.

I learned in an anthropology class that the second leading cause of death among primitive people were dental infections. Dental care is not some fluffy extra; you need it to live! And you need nice-looking teeth if you want a job.

[treemom2]

update:

So, we drove the three hours to see the Medicaid dentist yesterday It was filthy and a horrible experience!!! First, I had to wait an hour in his office then I had to wait another hour in the dental chair. He finally walks in and starts to feel my veins to see if I can have IV sedation--tells me my veins are too small and decides to pull the teeth with local anesthetic. He leaves the room and I sit there for several more minutes--fretting with the facts that the chair that I am sitting in probably has never been cleaned, the fact that he came in washed his hands and proceded to clean the sink--before opening the cabinet door with his "clean" hands and throwing the paper towel in the trash and then putting on gloves sitting on a table (with magazines). When the lady came in to put the numbing stuff on my cheek, I freaked out and decided I didn't want to get it done that bad--then they spent the next 15 minutes belittling me and yelling at me about how they aren't really a Medicaid clinic and how they just took some medicaid patients to be nice--telling me that they could have given this appt to someone who really needed it. Then, they left my room and stopped to tell all the employees and the dentist what had happened--very loudly and with other patients hearing it. I was soooooooo embarrassed, frightened--IT WAS AWFUL!!!!!! I left and I think I cried hysterically for about two of the hours on the drive home. Now, I guess I am back to having this infected tooth and nothing to do about it--UGH!!! I don't want to take antibiotics anymore, but I don't want this infection as well--anyone know of anything I can do naturally to help clear up the infections while I continue to try and have this tooth removed??

[Greaseball]

Sorry he was a jerk! I don't know what it is about medicaid dentists; they are worse than the doctors!

A mom I know has medicaid for her son and she told me that he had a cavity and when she took him to the medicaid dental clinic (after being on the wait list for a year!) she took one look around and walked out. She said it was that bad. I understand...

I've had holes in my teeth for over a year before because I didn't want to see the welfare dentists and they didn't want to see me. I just ate lots of tylenol, got vicodin when I was desperate, and avoided using certain teeth for certain foods.

I hear good things about using whole raw garlic on teeth...check the dental board!

[member]

I am so sorry you are going through all of this. I have the same trouble with my roots up in my sinus cavity and I thought I had an abscess when, in fact, it's seasonal allergies and a sinus infection irritating the roots. I hope you find an oral surgeon soon, ITA about contacting Medicaid and letting them find you someone in your area.