basilmemories (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
basilmemories) wrote2009-09-08 10:07 am
basilmemories) wrote2009-09-08 10:07 am
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Even moar tooth updates.
SO, my search is not looking good. Just from the start of today I’ve contacted two “low cost/free” clinics, and here’s what they’ve said:
South Market Health Ctr- This was the place where they claimed that they didn’t turn people away, and they were half-right. They’re willing to treat the infection in-house and set up a treatment plan for a mere 75$, the problem IS that the soonest they could start looking at the diagnosis appointment (not the emergency appointment) is in December. They also do not do the root canals themselves, but will do extractions. My problem with an extraction is that to keep the other teeth from “drifting” which results in bone and further tooth loss, is to get an implant, something even more expensive then a root canal and crown. (This bone loss by the way? can happen in a matter of months.) They also do not do payment plans. The woman on the other side of the line sounded mildly surprised when I explained that dental schools DON’T do dental plans either, and most of the time require the payment up front. But she still had the tone of “ho-hum, another person who needs care, I wonder when’s lunch”.
Native American Health Center- Is in some ways better and worse then the SOMHC. They DO have a payment plan... but they will only perform the procedure once 60% of the bill is paid. The ballpark price they quoted me (IF I apply for the discount) was 700-800 for the root canal and crown combo, which is still better then two years ago when I paid 850 for just the root canal at a dental school. They also have a waiting list, and I might not be seen until October though. The new-person cost is 75-85, and is more comprehensive, but the cost for emergency care could be as much as 200$. If I had a choice I’d go here, and not just because it’s on the bart line. The staff seemed more helpful overall, even if they seemed to have the same canned voice like the other receptionist.
These two calls are a good indicator overall of what the “community clinic” treatment feeling is like. You go in with a condition and don’t get care, as much as a jaded attitude and the condescending opinion that you’re just another broke bag of flesh who needs to get out of their hair as quickly as possible. Your worries, fears, and pain are pushed aside for them to make sure that you know that it will be a long and expensive process, and any comments you make about not having the money in the first place are ignored or outright insulted. The experience is made clear from the first moment you call to the moment you leave: “You are worthless, and be glad that we deign to treat you in the first place”.
The more I write about this, the more I want other people to hear about what exactly goes on in community dental and health centers. I know I’m sounding like an attention whore here, but if you have time, link this shit. Tell people who might care. At this point I know that one way or another I’m going to try to get treated, so I’m more determined to get the word out to more people who can make a larger fuss.
People who aren’t rich, or who can’t communicate their needs as well, or people who are disabled one way or another don’t deserve to have their pain trivialized, or in some cases their healthcare outright denied. If you have a grandmother, a relative who’s special needs, a friend who’s down on their luck, or even a homeless person that you see around often, or anybody who relies on state-funded programs and community clinics, this is what they’re going through. I can almost guarantee that.
That’s the real reason I want this linked. I want to hear stories from other people who’ve gone through the same thing. I want people to realize that in one of the supposedly most community-oriented cities in the California bay area, that there’s this kind of issue occurring. I hate the thought that I’m not the only one getting this kind of problem, but it’s true. I’ve been in the crowded waiting rooms for both dental and medical clinics and seen the same thing happen over and over again.
In some ways it’s treating humans inhumanely, and it needs to fucking stop.
South Market Health Ctr- This was the place where they claimed that they didn’t turn people away, and they were half-right. They’re willing to treat the infection in-house and set up a treatment plan for a mere 75$, the problem IS that the soonest they could start looking at the diagnosis appointment (not the emergency appointment) is in December. They also do not do the root canals themselves, but will do extractions. My problem with an extraction is that to keep the other teeth from “drifting” which results in bone and further tooth loss, is to get an implant, something even more expensive then a root canal and crown. (This bone loss by the way? can happen in a matter of months.) They also do not do payment plans. The woman on the other side of the line sounded mildly surprised when I explained that dental schools DON’T do dental plans either, and most of the time require the payment up front. But she still had the tone of “ho-hum, another person who needs care, I wonder when’s lunch”.
Native American Health Center- Is in some ways better and worse then the SOMHC. They DO have a payment plan... but they will only perform the procedure once 60% of the bill is paid. The ballpark price they quoted me (IF I apply for the discount) was 700-800 for the root canal and crown combo, which is still better then two years ago when I paid 850 for just the root canal at a dental school. They also have a waiting list, and I might not be seen until October though. The new-person cost is 75-85, and is more comprehensive, but the cost for emergency care could be as much as 200$. If I had a choice I’d go here, and not just because it’s on the bart line. The staff seemed more helpful overall, even if they seemed to have the same canned voice like the other receptionist.
These two calls are a good indicator overall of what the “community clinic” treatment feeling is like. You go in with a condition and don’t get care, as much as a jaded attitude and the condescending opinion that you’re just another broke bag of flesh who needs to get out of their hair as quickly as possible. Your worries, fears, and pain are pushed aside for them to make sure that you know that it will be a long and expensive process, and any comments you make about not having the money in the first place are ignored or outright insulted. The experience is made clear from the first moment you call to the moment you leave: “You are worthless, and be glad that we deign to treat you in the first place”.
The more I write about this, the more I want other people to hear about what exactly goes on in community dental and health centers. I know I’m sounding like an attention whore here, but if you have time, link this shit. Tell people who might care. At this point I know that one way or another I’m going to try to get treated, so I’m more determined to get the word out to more people who can make a larger fuss.
People who aren’t rich, or who can’t communicate their needs as well, or people who are disabled one way or another don’t deserve to have their pain trivialized, or in some cases their healthcare outright denied. If you have a grandmother, a relative who’s special needs, a friend who’s down on their luck, or even a homeless person that you see around often, or anybody who relies on state-funded programs and community clinics, this is what they’re going through. I can almost guarantee that.
That’s the real reason I want this linked. I want to hear stories from other people who’ve gone through the same thing. I want people to realize that in one of the supposedly most community-oriented cities in the California bay area, that there’s this kind of issue occurring. I hate the thought that I’m not the only one getting this kind of problem, but it’s true. I’ve been in the crowded waiting rooms for both dental and medical clinics and seen the same thing happen over and over again.
In some ways it’s treating humans inhumanely, and it needs to fucking stop.