滑动比例使医疗负担得起

朱莉·埃斯特利克

当博士. Selissa Mantas thinks about what she sees day-to-day at the 家庭牙科诊所, 她忍不住笑了. 员工们善于使人放松, offering a welcoming environment and a listening ear to patients who often have not visited a dentist in years.

十大娱乐彩票平台的一个方案, the clinic provides everything from routine cleanings to dentures for patients who otherwise couldn’t afford 牙科 care.

“We are happy to help community members overcome financial barriers and access the care they need and deserve,曼塔斯说。, 诊所的四个牙医之一. 无论是疼痛的紧急情况, 肿胀, 或者牙齿断了, 或者做个简单的检查, 我们希望人们来找我们，我们将与他们合作.”

具体地说, the Family Dental clinic serves people living in the district who either have insurance through Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid program) and Child Health Plan + (CHP+)或没有牙科保险，但根据家庭收入而符合资格. 它的收费是根据浮动比例收费的, and additional funding may be available to cover out-of-pocket costs for patients.

健康第一科罗拉多州提供医疗服务, 牙科, and behavioral health benefits to Coloradans who live on a lower income or with a disability, 而CHP+则是针对孕妇和儿童的低成本保险. Recent changes to Health First Colorado — including removing the annual benefit maximum for adult 牙科 procedures, and a renewal process that has seen thousands of Larimer County residents lose their Medicaid coverage — make the services at the 家庭牙科诊所 a vital community resource.

医疗补助取消福利限制

Mantas and her co-workers cheered when Health First Colorado recently ended its yearly cap on adult 牙科 benefits. Now patients can complete care without fear of their benefit running out and having to wait for their benefit to renew or pay out of pocket. (Some procedures still require pre-authorization from Health First Colorado.)

“在过去, we would get through maybe one-half or three-fourths of a person’s treatment plan, 然后必须暂停,曼塔斯解释道. “很明显，他们嘴里的蛀牙不会停止. 你看到有人需要简单的补牙, but their benefits are spent — then 8 months later they are back and now they require a crown, 根管, 或者提取.”

随着政策的变化, clinic staff hopes that patients are able to complete needed treatment without delay, 尽量减少自付费用, 保持健康. 除了, patients can be more involved in their treatment planning and see the end result they imagined. 例如, a man who needs a partial set of dentures must first have all of his decayed teeth pulled and a stable foundation of gum and tooth health to put the denture in place. 取消了年度最高津贴, he doesn’t have to worry about being left with several missing teeth for months before his dentures are covered by Health First Colorado.

事实上, 照顾好你的口腔对你的整体健康至关重要, 不应该被忽视, 蝠鲼坚持. “你的嘴并不是与你身体的其他部分隔离的. Bacteria related to gum disease enter your bloodstream and can harm your health.”

根据梅奥诊所的说法, oral bacteria and inflammation can contribute to several serious medical conditions including heart disease, 中风, 肺炎, 早产, 以及低出生体重婴儿.

A healthy smile is also important to one’s self-esteem and quality of life. “很多病人说他们需要找份工作, but they avoid interviews because they are embarrassed about how their mouth looks,蝠鲼说. “We give them their smile back so they have the confidence to get back into the workforce.”

为此目的, the 家庭牙科诊所 is adding a fifth dentist this fall to better serve area residents who can’t afford the full cost of care. / 8,500 individuals in Larimer County had their Health First Colorado or CHP+ benefits discontinued or denied between May and August when the state began verifying client eligibility for the programs following a temporary halt to such checks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some of those people may find 牙科 insurance through an employer or on the Connect for Health Colorado marketplace during a 60-day Special Enrollment Period. 如果你需要保险帮助, contact Larimer Health Connect’s Health Coverage Specialists for free assistance at 970-472-0444 或者参见本期的特别插页

And if you or someone you know currently lacks 牙科 coverage or has Medicaid and is looking for 牙科 care, 给家庭牙科诊所打电话 970-416-5331 看看你是否有资格享受服务.

你会很高兴这么做的, 莱蒂西亚说, bilingual 牙科 services guide who has worked at the clinic for 11 years: “Patients tell me they feel welcome when they come to our clinic, 尽管他们的资源有限. They are treated with respect from the moment they are greeted by the front desk staff. 医生向他们解释一切. 他们喜欢我们的环境.”