The other day I had to take my brother in for emergency dental surgery. It has been ten years (yes ten years) since he has seen a dentist, and now his teeth are rotted and becoming easily affected. At twenty-four he now faces the decision of having to one day soon get false teeth. The problem could have been avoided if health insurance would have been available.
In the state of Pennsylvania, low-income families are entitled to medical assistance, however, there are guidelines that must be met. Kids are able to get medical assistance up until they are twenty-one years of age and then it is taken away. Then you are on your own. What happens if you don’t find a job? You are left in sinking boat. I was once in that boat. Even the companies that I worked for never offered health insurance. The free medical clinics offered care but only if you were working full-time. Dental care was impossible to come by and you couldn’t even dream of seeing an eye doctor. A few summer’s ago, I had two infected wisdom teeth that needed to be pulled. After a month of being in horrible pain, I was finally able to find a dentist who would pull my teeth. However it cost 100 dollars a tooth, and that wasn’t counting the x-rays.
My brother hasn’t been lucky when it comes to jobs. Any job he gets is usually part-time, and half of the time it is only a temporary job. Thankfully I was able to find a medical/dental center that helps those who qualify. Because we met poverty guidelines we were able to get my brother seen at a sliding fee, which is half the price. So thirty-four dollars for an x-ray and thirty-seven dollars to get an imbedded tooth removed. As for medical care and eye care, he is still in the sinking boat.
Even though I am pregnant and getting medical care, I am still having trouble getting eye care. What this country needs is better health care that is available for low-income families. It should be available for those who can’t find work or can only find temporary part-time work. Their are those who lose their jobs and can’t afford it yet really need it. In my opinion, it should be available for everyone who needs it.
