Obamacare: The Adult Dental Coverage Loophole

I have reviewed The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (HR3590); below is a link to the text of this law.

HR3590

Nowhere in this law could I find any reference to ensuring that dental care will be available to adults.

I am finally finding a few articles on the internet where others point this out this huge flaw in the law:

The Affordable Care Act Has No Teeth: 

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/will-obamacare-take-bite-out-of-dental-coverage-2013-07-12

In the above article, my sentiments are spelled out:  adult dental care is not mentioned in this law!!!

How could such a critical element of healthcare have been left out of the law?

The American Dental Association (ADA) created a report that states:

"There is no requirement to provide dental services to the newly eligible adults but states have the option to add those services if they choose to do so."

The report states that ADA's position is:

"There should be adult dental coverage for emergencies as part of the EHB package."

Here is a link to the ADA's report:

http://www.ada.org/sections/advocacy/pdfs/April_8_2013_--_Effects_of_ACA_on_Dentistry.pdf 

Another article "How Does Healthcare Reform Affect Adult Oral Health?"

states:

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 45 million adult Americans currently do not have dental insurance. Unfortunately, the legislation passed in 2010 to make it easier for all Americans to obtain coverage did little to consider the dental needs of people over 21. According to Reuters, Americans must purchase health insurance by 2014 in order to avoid being fined. However, this requirement does not extend to specific vision or dental coverage.
As a result, it is feared that millions of the most vulnerable adult patients will continue to be unable to access the preventative care and more complex procedures they need in order to promote their oral health. And since tooth decay and gum disease are increasingly being linked to major medical problems such as diabetes, heart disease and even miscarriage, this gaping hole in coverage also means poor overall health and increasing medical costs for millions of people."

Here is a link to that article:

http://www.1dental.com/articles/dental/dental-coverage-included-obamas-healthcare-bill

At one point in time, I didn't have dental insurance and needed some crowns.  Living down south, I researched where I could get them done in Mexico, as I'd heard many Americans head south of the border to get major dental work done as it is much cheaper.

I found this information on the internet today at http://www.dentalheroes.com/what-the-health-reform-bill-means-for-dental-care about where Americans can obtain dental care in Mexico:

"The healthcare bill does nothing to lower the high cost of dentistry in America. That is why so many are going off-shore to get their dental work done. A crown can cost $800 to 3,000 USD in the states vs. $400-500 in Mexico. A dental makeover can cost up to $75,000usd in the US vs. $15-20,000 in Mexico.  The following clinics offer free round trip airfare or up to two weeks resort stays for dental or surgical makeover patients:"

http://www.angelstouchdentalclinic.com (Cabo, Mazatlan & Puerto Vallarta),

http://www.cabocosmeticdental.com

http://www.cabocosmetcsurgery.com

Here is another article "Obamacare Leaves Adults Without Dental Coverage" that talks about the Adult Dental Coverage Loophole:


http://www.teethcenter.com/obamacare-leaves-adults-without-dental-coverage

Rollcall.com has an article "Health Care Reform Must Include Dental Care" that describes negative effects of neglect of dental care:


http://www.rollcall.com/news/-34231-1.html?zkPrintable=true






Another article says:

"One of the major criticisms of President Obama’s health reforms is that dentistry seems to have been missed off the list, for adults at least. The Affordable Care Act will make a difference to children, which will undoubtedly have positive consequences in the future, but many believe that adults will continue to suffer. The act requires subsidized health insurance plans to provide dental cover for children, but they are not obliged to offer the same to adults."