Hurray for Capitalism

Ethan has a new molar erupting in his mouth. He's already had a shard of tooth come through and fall out, last night he had another piece of tooth break off. We looked in his mouth and the tooth looks like it's coming through the gums broken and rotten. How exactly that happens is beyond me, except that I know he grinds his teeth at night.

Our first thought is....KA-CHING! This is going to be expensive! The kids have a dental plan they got as a free addition to the medical plan they're on which provides full coverage on dental work. The most we would have to pay is $25.

It occurred to me that his regular dentist might take this new insurance even though they're not on the list, but I'd have to ask. I called them this morning and explained what was going on and asked if they took this particular insurance. Unfortunately not. It's through a state sponsored program and this very good dentist that we've been seeing does not accept any state sponsored insurance.

We looked over the provided list, did some homework and picked two candidates.

I called the nearest one and the stupid that came over the phone was deafening. She said that Ethan's tooth sounded like a normal eruption. WHAT!?!?! She also said I couldn't come to that office unless I was assigned to them. Kind of like we're assigned to our government school that can't turn out literate students after 13 years? Oh ****, if that doesn't sound like a precursor to a communist bread line....

I called the DeltaCare 800 number and was first greeted by a recording asking me to pick my language preference. They had mandatory government messages I had to get through, but I finally figured out the office to which we were assigned; Smilecare. Sounds like the Supercuts of the dental industry. I called them and was told that they wouldn't accept Delta....

"Oh, no. I just called and this is the office I've been assigned to."
"There is only one dentist who accepts that insurance and she is on maternity leave until January. No one else here will accept that type of insurance."

right.

I called back to Delta to get assigned to a different office. The automated system even in English was barely intelligible. If I didn't already know they were saying "Smilecare" I would have no idea what this computer was saying. I got on with a live person and explained that my son needed to be seen today and my "assigned" dentist wasn't available until January. The woman who took my call said that we were assigned to Smilecare.

AUGH! Did you not just hear what I said?!?! I repeated the situation...my ASSIGNED dentist is out until January on maternity leave.

"Well, you're going to have to stay on the line while I call them."
"I JUST talked to them. Nobody else at that office takes Delta. I need to be assigned to another office."
"I'm going to have to call them"
"WHAT!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS! I'LL JUST GO....(couldn't get the rest out but I meant to finish 'to his regular dentist') I'll PAY FOR IT MYSELF!!!" I hung up.

This is what we have to look forward to with universal health care. There's no competition with assigned providers therefore there is no incentive to innovate, streamline, build in efficiency and cater. The dentist we have been seeing, Dr. Nutter, has a whole room full of kyosk video games for the kids, movies playing on TVs all over the place, several wall mounted busy boards for the younger children. Everything is clean, inviting, well decorated and put together.

But even incompetent dentists need love too so they'll play into the state and government programs.

I called Dr. Nutter's office back and spouted off about the ridiculous run around I got with the state program and how much I FEAR universal health care just based on my experience today. The receptionist empathized with me and said that whenever they've had a patient transfer over and she's tried to get the records it's been so bad that she's finally like, "Look, I don't want them anymore." And yet, all of the politicians think such an atrocity will save the world. More like lower the standards so that everybody has to get crappy care.

I told them I'd pay for it out of pocket. They got me an appointment for 2:30. I guarantee that's better than the other crappy Delta socialist system could have provided.

Hurray for Capitalism!

Post Note: Apparently Ethan has what's called a bony sequestrum, or "island of bone". As his molar came through the jaw bone it made a little island of jaw bone in the middle of the tooth. As the tooth erupted through the gums that piece of bone just fell out. The dentist said that it's REALLY rare and he was completely baffled when he first saw it. The good news is, that his tooth is fine, we didn't get charged for the office visit and only ended up having to pay for one set of x-rays.