seems his Mom lost her medicaid coverage and was busy with another brother who has worse teeth? This should never have happened!! Is America giving all the money away overseas and letting Americans die??
2007-02-28 14:30:12 · 11 answers · asked by richard c 4 in Health ➔ Dental
This happened in Maryland,only 500 dentists out of 9000 participate in medicaid program. sad?or greed?
2007-03-01 00:26:47 · update #1
The US health coverage is just whacked. Our country is whacked. There is so much wrong we haven't even scratched the surface. I feel sorry for that kid. I hope he's in a better place now. For those that haven't read the story, here's the link:
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/merrill_goozner/2007/02/toothache_gone_wrong.html
2007-02-28 14:40:27 · answer #1 · answered by TDK 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
One big question is why did she lose her coverage? In the state I live people have to reapply for this coverage every 1-3 months. Alot of those currently covered have a lapse in coverage at some point because they do not fill out and return their paperwork in time.
Now think about it, the tooth was abscessed. That means it had to have been hurting a very long time. If she had used her Medicaid to properly take care of her children's teeth, she wouldn't have a problem. Most of these people wait until there is a HUGE issue before seeing a dentist. And the killer is their regular checkups and cleanings are FREE!
I know of a child who had his first dental appointment in 11th grade! 11th grade! OMG, can you imagine. And yes, he had available coverage so there was no excuse for this. His coverage paid for everything 100%. Now this is child neglect if you ask me!
I don't think you can blame this one on America. The blame most likely falls on the mom. Sorry!
2007-02-28 22:51:14 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
America has forsaken the poor and struggling of this country. This story is absolutely shameful. Anyone who chooses to blame the mother in this tragedy is either plain ignorant or has absolutely no empathy at all. This type of thing not only happens to the poor but also to the working middle/ lower class. I should know since both my husband and I have professional jobs, he is an electronics technician and I work as a circulation assistant at a college library. We both have good health care coverage but I don't have any dental. I am currently struggling with a sore tooth but cannot afford to go to a dentist. If it gets too bad I will go and have it pulled. There's no way I can afford to have a root canal or a crown done.
When is America ever going to wake up? This country was never supposed to be a refuge for only the wealthy. Our forefathers wanted this to be a place of equal opportunity for all citizens. Now the only people who can count on good health, a good education and a bright future are those who have money. If the founding fathers could see us now I'm sure they would behold America with nothing but shame and sorrow.
2007-03-01 13:43:40 · answer #3 · answered by Silverwing6700 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Boy can I relate to this!!! My daughter is mentally challenged and receives Medi-caide. She is 27 yrs. old and lives at home. Because she lives at home and not in a facility she does not qualify for dental coverage. This was not a problem until 2 yrs. ago when I became disabled from complications of diabetes and lost our insurance. I have worked since I was 13 yrs. old and I have never had to ask for help from anyone. Then I got sick. The irony is I am a nurse and have taken care of other people most of my life. Now I need help for my daughter and there is none to be found!! It breaks my heart for my daughter to have dental pain and no way to fix it. I don't know what the answer is but I do think you are right...why do we send all our money overseas while our own citizens are in need? Just because my daughter is mentally challenged doesn't make her less valuable. And yes, it is true that a person can die from dental problems due to an infection becoming systemic throughout their body. It is a sad testement of our society that we value some people more than others. God bless you all who read this and I pray you take the time to be grateful for your healthy children if you have them and I will say a special prayer for those of you like me who have been blessed with "special" children. Please pray I find dental help for my daughter soon.
2007-02-28 23:17:24 · answer #4 · answered by rtupin 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
He did not die from a toothache. He died from an abscess that he got from not getting proper treatment from the tooth in the first place. He also got the cavity, which caused the abscess, from not properly taking care of his teeth. This was all the mother's responsibility. Her child was a minor and could not take care of himself. If my child gets a cavity, then it is 100% my fault! I have worked in a dental office for 4 years and there are many ways that you can get cheap, if not free, dental care. At all colleges who offer either hygiene programs or dental programs, they have free clinics for people to come in and get treatment. There are also plenty of dental offices that except medicaid or medicare. There are also plenty of ways to get financing or other assistance.
I do not feel sorry for the people in the US who are capable of working, but choose not to. I do not know all the circumstances surrounding her, but there is really no excuse for this negligence.
Americans need to take responsibility for their own actions! What is this country coming to???
2007-03-01 09:12:05 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most of the people in the US who have medicaid cannot find a dentist to take the coverage. There are very few clinics or places for poor people to go to get dental care. And its sooo expensive!! Thats why stuff like this happens. And no one seems to care either or say anything to our legislatures about getting better care for kids like this. All I hear on this forum is how people are living off the public dole and should get a job NOT how can we help people and avoid horrible things like this.
2007-02-28 22:40:09 · answer #6 · answered by elaeblue 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It is unlikely anyone would die from a toothache. If it was abscessed, however, the bacteria from the infection could spread to blood stream (and therefore everywhere). There is also very little between an abscessed tooth and the brain - that is big time trouble. I've seen both.
2007-02-28 22:42:18 · answer #7 · answered by Sweet Gran 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I did hear of a kid who died of a toothache which was a tooth infection but this was not in maryland. This was in Bronx, New York.
2007-03-01 09:37:36 · answer #8 · answered by Ebonique 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He didn't die from a tooth ache. He died from an abscess that infected his brain. The mom didn't even know about it till he started to complain, then he had two brain surgeries. recovered, then died.
How many people do you know who have dental insurance and still don't go.
It only costs $50. cash to have a tooth pulled. I know...I didn't have insurance and I had one pulled.
2007-02-28 22:41:05 · answer #9 · answered by Kristi B 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
That is terrible,poor kid.
2007-02-28 22:38:46 · answer #10 · answered by Lady T 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋