Europe is More Fun than Dentists

People, don't you understand
The child needs a helping hand
Or he'll grow to be an angry young man some day
--In the Ghetto, Scott Davis

Ignore your teeth and they'll go away
--Sign in dentist office
_________________

If you are a kid in Florida on Medicaid, good luck getting to see a doctor.

1.6 million children covered under Medicare in the state have no access to medical care, and Governor Crist, like his predecessor Jeb Bush, is hoping the issue will go away.

For this reason, the Florida Pediatric Society and the Florida Academy of Pediatric Dentistry have filed a class action lawsuit against the state on behalf of those children denied medical care in violation of Federal law, which stipulates care should be "prompt, complete, and if necessary, continuing." The State moved to dismiss the suit in 2005, but the judge ruled in January of 2007 that the plaintiffs have a right to sue. The case is expected to go to trial in June 2009.

Former State Senator and representative for Florida Pediatric Society John Grant says Governor Crist "Really doesn't care" about these children's lack of access to medical care. Crist postponed scheduled meetings with representatives from the medical groups twice before leaving on his European junket two weeks ago.

Half a million kids on Medicaid received no preventative health care at all in 2007. Many doctors decline to see new Medicaid patients as Medicaid has not increased the amount is reimburses doctors for their services since 1992. General practitioners recoup about one-third of their fees; dentists, about 25%. Florida ranks 48th out of 50 in its dental coverage for this population.

Dr. Peter Claussen, the only dentist in Pensacola who sees pediatric Medicaid patients, says he does it because he himself can remember going to bed with toothaches. "That's just not fun," he said. Though he sees about 20 new Medicaid patients a week, his staff tells him that maybe double that amount are also turned away.

A New York Times article says the lack of dental care is not just restricted to the poor and their children. "Experts on oral health say about 100 million Americans — including many adults who work and have incomes above the poverty line — are without access to care." That means about one-third of your fellow Americans go without dental care.

Just to give some perspective on the State of the State for those who are not yet old enough to wear BDU's.