KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It's never fun deciding on insurance plans, especially when struggling to afford the monthly costs.
The CareQuest Institute, a nonprofit that focuses on equitable care, reports millions of Americans lost their dental insurance from Medicaid last fall, adding to the more than 68 million adults who don't have dental insurance.
But the cost of a smile is non-negotiable for Monique Arascunaga.
“It's so important twice a year to get regular cleanings, floss every day,” Arascunaga said.
Keeping teeth healthy isn’t always affordable, though.
“I have had jobs where I have not had dental insurance, but I still have gone and paid that expense myself,” she said.
Jeannie Crocker said she's familiar with how expensive dental insurance can be.
“There was one point where we had to wait for him (husband) to get a crown,” Crocker said. “The money out of pocket was just too much for our income at the time.”
This very frustration is what fuels Dr. Jake Meggison's work at his dental office, Dental Elements.
“To have to have a money conversation as a provider is an awful thing,” Meggison said. “We find that people come in wanting and needing care and are unable to get it because they don't have the finances to get it all done. “
While Dental Elements does accept health insurance, Meggison's office offers dental memberships to remove insurance from the equation. Plans are $35 a month for preventative care and $65 a month for coverage for treatments like fillings and crowns.
“When we developed it, we were gearing toward the retired, the self-employed, the small business employees, the people that fall outside the gambit of major insurance companies or large companies,” he said. “And so there was a huge gap in care with that population."
As far as major dental issues, Meggison said if a patient needs care outside of the membership plan, his team can discuss additional costs or send patients to a specialist at a discounted rate.
—
