The Bill That Never Was: 35 Billion Reasons Why President Bush Made A Mistake

Just when low-income families thought that help was on the way in the form of health insurance coverage, their hope was shot down by a man. The same man who was elected to help this country but has done nothing but hinder the progress of America. Last week, President Bush vetoed a bill to add $35 billion to programs providing health insurance to children of lower-income families. "The policies of the government ought to be to help poor children and to focus on poor children, and the policies of the government ought to be to help people find private insurance, not federal coverage. And that's where the philosophical divide comes in," Bush said.

One man who was openly critical about Presidents Bushs decision to veto the State Children’s Health Insurance Program was, Dean of the USC School of Dentistry, Harold Slavkin (seen below) . Dean Slavkin stated that the veto compromises California’s poorest children, the ones who are most vulnerable in our communities. Diseases surround this country, some to which we have cures and other to which we are yet to find cures for. Tooth decay is the most prevalent disease among children in this country and can be extremely deadly. In Los Angeles County in particular, cavities and oral infections are the number one reason children are missing school. "This bill is crucial for the health of America's children and is a fitting tribute to the memory of Deamonte Driver, the Maryland boy who died earlier this year when his untreated tooth abscess led to a brain infection,” adds Slavkin.

As much as I hate sounding like a broken record, that’s probably what somebody would think of me while reading my recent posts. Every post seems to emphasize the importance of providing health insurance, especially dental insurance to American Citizens. This post is no different. Just when I though that, like Spain did in providing free dental care to all children between the ages of 7 – 15, the United States was going to step up and provide for those who are most in need. Instead, the step taken was in the wrong direction. President Bush was elected to lead this country and work towards positive progress everyday. The only problem I see is a huge problem in itself. President Bush is leading this country in the wrong direction. We had a chance to accomplish something great with the new States Children’s Health Insurance Program but what once seemed like a bright idea for the future is nothing more than a dark moment in the past. By vetoing the bill, President Bush has left the door open for American Citizens to either not seek any kind of care for medical problems which they might have or to seek not only dental care, but also all kinds of health care outside the borders of the United States. The potential outside care which patients in need may receive might not be safe or effective which in turn, could lead to infection, disease or worst of all, death. So, in a way, President Bush has left the door open for our own American citizens to die, all while he could have simply passed a bill which could have made a difference in million of lives. Would have, could have, but simply didn’t.

Price of Health: Cheaper is not always better

Some things are meant to grab someone's attention One of the easiest and most likely attention grabbers is the opportunity to save money in any case. Charlie Kingston and his wife Lucia, whose real names remained undisclosed, are trying to do exactly that. They want to catch potential customers by providing the opportunity for them to save moeny. Charlie and Lucia developed a dental clinic simply known as “Greengos” whose slogan is; “American dental care, Mexican price.” Greengos, which is also a derogatory term referring to people of Hispanic heritage, has attracted much attention. It is the name of the dental clinic located in Mexico at Matamoros near the Texas/Mexico border. What the owners of Greengos are trying to accomplish is to attract patients from not only Mexico but also from the United States to come to their dental clinic for all their dental cares and they are doing this by offering prices which can not be beat in the United States. Just a couple examples of what kind of potential savings Greengos can offer you are braces for only $2,499 as opposed to $8,500 in the U.S. and also teeth cleaning and oral examples for only $29.99 compares to a whooping $160 in the United States. “The border culture is unique,” said Charlie Kingston. “People in Mexico come (to the U.S) to buy their televisions, for example. Well, Americans cross the border to get their cheap stuff too. In this case, healthcare.” Along with their favorable prices, Greengos also offers the latest dental technology including a Sirona Cerec 3 (pictured below to the right), which is used to make crowns, and also a DENTZ digital x-ray machine.(pictures below to the left)

Some patients might be attracted to the discount prices but they must also wonder, is the reward greater than the risk. Matthew Messina, a dentist and consumer spokesman for the ADA provided his insight on the topic by stating, “as long as patients are receiving good dental care it doesn’t matter where it happens.” He also added that, “People need to be aware that some things they take for granted (in the U.S.) are not necessarily true in other countries. There is a reason they are able to offer reduced rates, but you have to look at the reasons they cost less and the potential risk for patients.” This happy-go-lucky story about dentists in Mexico trying to do the right thing and provide affordable dental care to patients who can’t afford it in the United States, but I believe that this tale is one, which can turn sour with one faulty procedure.

After reading this article about Greengos, I could not help but think about how important it is for our own government to establish a new dental care plan, which would provide for all citizens. By doing this, Americans could remain in the states and receive the dental care they deserve without having to worry about cost. Leaving the states and searching for not only dental care, but also all kinds of health care in other countries could backfire on the patient. The patients would most likely be excited about the money they are saving, but I personally believe it is not worth taking the chance with ones health, risking possible infection and other malpractice. Some of these patients might end up spending even more money to repair possible damage done as a result of seeking cheaper care in the first place. In no way am I saying that health care in other countries is not viable, I am just saying that it isn’t the same as here in the United States. The states are known to offer a wide range of procedures with the newest machines and technology. They provide a clean and sterile environment which other countries may also be able to provide, but that is neither known nor unknown, it is a mystery and I believe that health care, dental and otherwise is not something that somebody should gamble with because stepping into the unknown is nothing more than a gamble.