OUVickie said:
Is there a low-income Health Clinic in your area? There is one in OKC and they have a dentist too. My Mom has used them a couple of times, since she's on a fixed income. If there isn't one right near you and you're in Arkansas, check in Ft. Smith. Surely there's something you can do, even if you call a dentist yourself and make a deal with him up front on cost. Some health care providers are more compassionate to those who aren't insured.
Hope you find one, I understand your dilemma!
I am not interested in charity services, just a fair price. Just a point of interest, I do believe my neighbor (Chuck the drunk, disabled and on SSI because he is drunk most of time) mentioned a low income dental charity place in Fayetteville. However they fill teeth and pull teeth, and do cheap dentures, they dont do root canals and crowns. As to negotiating with a dentist on price, they wont talk about it. Why should they since they are booked way ahead in this area. I've been told more than once to talk billing with the person at the desk, I dont deal with that. Of course the person at desk has no authority to negotiate price, they at best just offer a payment plan. If you call on phone, yea, right like you would ever get to actually talk to dentist unless you were already a customer and had a medical question.
Really bugs me the rampant greed in Americas health care system. In earlier times there was always some dentist in lower income and rural areas, maybe even working out of a room in back of his house. No sliding income scales, no welfare, no insurance, he just had straight across prices that average local could pay out of pocket. Same with local doctor.
Now with all the gee whiz hi-tech stuff and all the insurance and government programs, all care is priced top dollar and if you dont have top dollar income or insurance, well you better go beg to your uncle sam or local welfare program. How about we still have some practitioneers that can see opportunity in offering low prices for basic service to attract customers without top dollar income/insurance? Do they all need the latest high tech everything and the fancy offices and to drive fancy cars? I'd be happy to be treated by somebody using 1950's dental technology if they were skilled and kept clean office, but also charged so average person could just pay out of pocket.
Well, while up on soapbox concerning health care, I just recently found out couple weeks ago from penpal that works in hospital billing dept, that now if I ever have to go to hospital, I will be royally screwed as a cash and carry customer. Seems hospitals charge cash paying customers double the price the insurance companies pay. If you have minimal insurance apparently you are still billed at insurance company rate for that which insurance doesnt cover. But woe to the person willing to pay all cash with no insurance. They say they are just giving the insurance companies a volume break, but seems to me they are punishing those without insurance or welfare coverage when they should give them a big discount for paying cash in full. Seems somebody is pushing to eliminate anybody going without either insurance or welfare coverage. More power to anybody stiffing any hospital with such greed and gall.
