My friend in California has D.I., but outrageous co-pay

[domerdel]

i have a friend who claims to have insurance, but unemployed. She has several cavities she needs to attend to. they say just her co-pays alone will be 1,500. She is also a single mother. Would she qualify for any supplemental money/credit to help her with her copay? Not sure what State/Federal options there are out there.

If anyone is familiar with a California/US program to assist with co-pays with those with little to no income, let me know where I can go to help her out.

[Seeker]

Originally Posted by domerdel

i have a friend who claims to have insurance, but unemployed. She has several cavities she needs to attend to. they say just her co-pays alone will be 1,500. She is also a single mother. Would she qualify for any supplemental money/credit to help her with her copay? Not sure what State/Federal options there are out there.

If anyone is familiar with a California/US program to assist with co-pays with those with little to no income, let me know where I can go to help her out.

$1500 after her dental insurance coverage limits for the year? Or before?

Can she wait until coverage renews next year for part of the dental treatment?

If she has dental coverage and cannot wait until next year, then she could potentially seek treatment at a university.... where graduating students can do the same work for less cost.... insurance may not cover any of it though.

I don't know of any real alternatives. Dental expenses are slowing becoming like vision expenses.... those whom need are paying most of the costs.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

I don't think there is any federal assistance. Would not know about California, but my state, Missouri would provide nothing. It might be possible she can find a clinic that serves people at a rate according to income. But if her income has been higher in the previous year, she might not yet qualify for much in the way of a reduced rate, as they would probably use the previous year's income to determine eligibility.

[boosami]

I wonder what insurance she has since she is unemployed... But anyway dental insurance in general is pricy and sucks as far as coverage goes. I have it, and if I have one root canal or crown it uses it up for the year. When I didn't have standard insurance offered through my employer, I used an independent Dental Discount Plan. That can give you free cleanings and up to 50% or more off procedures. In general, the premiums are less than $200 a year. I'd urge anyone without insurance in need of a dental procedure to get one of these and you'd save so much on the procedure it would offset the $200/yr cost (and more). You just have to make sure you pick the right plan and choose a participating dentist. Like I said, I used various plans like this for years when I didn't have dental insurance, and they saved me countless money for any procedures I had. They typically don't check for pre-existing conditions or anything. This isn't insurance, there are no claims to file, participating dentists just take the % off your bill at the end.

Compare a bunch here: Affordable Dental Insurance Alternatives: Discount Dental Plans

An example:
The Signature Wellness Plan in California costs $145 a year. You pay nothing for routine checkups, and each filling costs $79. With that plan, she could have 15-20 cavities filled before hitting $1,500 owed.

[terces]

Medi-Cal used to cover some dental under its Denti-Cal provision but a lot of its been eliminated with the 2009 budget.

I did a search for free dental clinics in CA and this site came up. Might want to check it out.