Curruption - A Social Disease Part 57
Fault lines in dentistry
Fault lines in health and medical insurance includes dentistry, the focus of this article.
Medical insurers’ rates and tariffs are unrealistic for dental services in terms of cost and quality. Equipment used by dentists is extremely expensive. Medical insurers do not take the weakened exchange rate, e.g. the Euro and the US$ into account in determining the maximum rates and tariffs for dental services. This is one of the reasons why dentists find it extremely challenging to deliver quality services if they are contracted-in.
Approximately 15% of members’ monthly contributions to medical insurers is earmarked for salaries, administration and operational management. According to dentists, the trend is that the benefits of members reduced over time, making it increasingly challenging for members to afford dental services. As a result, dentists’ bad debts increased. It seems that members and not medical insurers are absorbing the annual increase in dental costs and the weakening exchange rate. For example, members find it increasing challenging to afford implants. Rates and tariffs allocated for specific services can only be utilised for these services and non-other although members could have ‘saved’ on some other dental and/or medical services.
Given the discussion, it is possible to deduce that members of health and medical insurance can expect to pay increasingly more for dental and/or medical services in future.
Healthy teeth are critical for the overall health of customers. Decaying dental health impacts negatively on overall health. For example, inflammation due to unhealthy teeth can poison the body, it can weaken the immune system and make the body susceptible to sinusitis, flues and even cancer. Fault lines in dentistry is a matter of quality of life, of prolonged health or premature death.
Fault lines in health and medical insurance includes dentistry, the focus of this article.
Medical insurers’ rates and tariffs are unrealistic for dental services in terms of cost and quality. Equipment used by dentists is extremely expensive. Medical insurers do not take the weakened exchange rate, e.g. the Euro and the US$ into account in determining the maximum rates and tariffs for dental services. This is one of the reasons why dentists find it extremely challenging to deliver quality services if they are contracted-in.
Approximately 15% of members’ monthly contributions to medical insurers is earmarked for salaries, administration and operational management. According to dentists, the trend is that the benefits of members reduced over time, making it increasingly challenging for members to afford dental services. As a result, dentists’ bad debts increased. It seems that members and not medical insurers are absorbing the annual increase in dental costs and the weakening exchange rate. For example, members find it increasing challenging to afford implants. Rates and tariffs allocated for specific services can only be utilised for these services and non-other although members could have ‘saved’ on some other dental and/or medical services.
Given the discussion, it is possible to deduce that members of health and medical insurance can expect to pay increasingly more for dental and/or medical services in future.
Healthy teeth are critical for the overall health of customers. Decaying dental health impacts negatively on overall health. For example, inflammation due to unhealthy teeth can poison the body, it can weaken the immune system and make the body susceptible to sinusitis, flues and even cancer. Fault lines in dentistry is a matter of quality of life, of prolonged health or premature death.
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