How would Hillary's plan affect dentistry?

[HenryH]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

I realize that her proposal only specifies a national mandate for health (not dental) insurance, but what are the chances that it would eventually expand to require dental insurance? Isn't one of the main reasons dentists (on average) do so well financially because of the fact that most of them don't deal with insurance companies?

 

[johntara04]

I realize that her proposal only specifies a national mandate for health (not dental) insurance, but what are the chances that it would eventually expand to require dental insurance? Isn't one of the main reasons dentists (on average) do so well financially because of the fact that most of them don't deal with insurance companies?

Over half of all dentists participate with insurance companies.

 

[armorshell]

I realize that her proposal only specifies a national mandate for health (not dental) insurance, but what are the chances that it would eventually expand to require dental insurance? Isn't one of the main reasons dentists (on average) do so well financially because of the fact that most of them don't deal with insurance companies?

It would inevitably spread to every aspect of health care. Get thee to an ortho specialty program!

 

[vize]

Hillary first has to win.

 

[Avrelian]

well sooner or later someone with the same plan will win anyways. Frankly I personally dont understand why Americans have to pay twice as much in taxes for healthcare than anyone else on the planet, in order to get none.

 

[HenryH]

How bad will this affect dentists' earning potential?

I have done 50 hours worth of shadowing and I am 99% sure that I want to be a dentist, but one of my chief reasons for choosing dentistry over "physician medicine" is because dentists have retained the ability to work 36-40 hours/week (no call!) and still earn $200k+; that is, the "capitalism" aspect is still very viable in dentistry.

I'm not so sure I want to spend $150k+ and 4-8 years of my life in school if revamps of the insurance system are going to severely limit the earnings potentials for dentists...

 

[vize]

If you look at the healthcare system as it is now, you'll see that physicians are still making great income. I believe the most recent statistics show that physician specialists are making more than any healthcare profession, even with the American healthcare system. So going into dentistry instead of medicine because of insurance isn't too logical, but I can understand the hours reasoning. Insurance is not as bad for healthcare providers as whoever told you it was. It's just more work.

 

[JavadiCavity]

I realize that her proposal only specifies a national mandate for health (not dental) insurance, but what are the chances that it would eventually expand to require dental insurance? Isn't one of the main reasons dentists (on average) do so well financially because of the fact that most of them don't deal with insurance companies?

I think HilaryCare 2.0 is well thought out, but I also think it's a terrible idea. I don't want big brother dictating treatment indirectly by footing the bill for dental or medical care.

Best case scenario is that Hillary loses in '08. However, if she did win, I don't think the plan would ever get through Congress in the same way that Bush's promise to revamp Social Security never got wings to fly. I read in the news that health care is a $70 billion a year industry. There are a lot of big players other than doctors who will spend a lot of money to keep Washington out of their pockets.

There really are good arguments for and against a plan like Clinton's, but I really don't think anything will come of it. It's just another campaign tool to get the attention of undecided voters.

As an aside, did you read about Bush's comment during a press conference today that Nelson Mandela was killed by Saddam Hussein? I'm sure Mr. Mandela got a kick out of that while he was reading the morning paper.

 

[Rube]

Just wanted to contribute my 2 cents here. Hope this doesn't sound like a lecture but...

We can't understand how this would affect us as dentists without understanding a quick etiology of the healthcare problem then understanding where HillaryCare 2.0 would take it and us as dentists.

1. 47 million uninsured. False. subtract 15 million illegals. then subtract those without healthcare for 1 year and the number drops down to 8-10 million people. That's a fact the pro Hillary media will not report or explain.

2. So most people are uninsured because they lose their coverage at work in our fluid employment society. People switch jobs often and they lose coverage a few months while waiting for open enrollment in their new job. That's why for several months lots (30 million) are uninsured but for 1 year, very few are (8-10 million).

3. The tax code favors employer sponsored healthcare. It discourages individual's buying health care. Gotta fix the tax code.

4. HillaryCare 2.0 is essentially expands the worst of our present system. Its more and more employer based healthcare (which we all agree is failing) and more government paid for healthcare (which is a failure). Essentially she supports more failure🙂

5. If our system is failing because it is employer based, her system will only hasten that failure because its more employer based (and gov based).

6. Her ultimate goal is to push us towards European style socialized medicine/dentistry-- Hillarycare 2.0 will cause a crash of the current system which pushes us towards her ultimate goal of socialized medicine: HillaryCare 3.0. The same Cuban style healthcare she proposed in 1993.

7. Dentistry won't get effected by HillaryCare 2.0 but it will lead to universal healthcare (HillaryCare 3.0) and that is where dentists become government employees.

 

[DrJeff]

Inspite of what she says, to implement Hilary Care 2.0 would require a HUGE tax increase(something politicians LOVE to do🙄). Every member of the house/senate that votes for a proposal such as this would "kindly" be reminded by their challenger at the next election cycle after this 12 headed moster has been implemented and it's not performing upto campaign promised expectations.

Politicians don't like situations like this. What they do like is forming about 25 different sub committees and/or study groups to investigate this, just so they can drag on about it for years and years to come. Then, if they actually get a proposal together that they can agree upon, members of both parties will attach funding for so many pork barrel projects onto the bill that both sides will have reasons to then vote it down and blame the other for its failure because of their prok barrel greed😡

In all reality dentistry being a "small" healthcare expediture compared to medicine would have it not be involved/included in this plan from day 1(just like HMO's). It also comes down to being all about the $$. And before someone goes and says "just pull the troops out of Iraq and you'll have all that extra $$$ for this", the amount spent over there vs. what Hilarycare 2.0 would really cost aren't even close.

 

[JavadiCavity]

Just wanted to contribute my 2 cents here. Hope this doesn't sound like a lecture but...

We can't understand how this would affect us as dentists without understanding a quick etiology of the healthcare problem then understanding where HillaryCare 2.0 would take it and us as dentists.

1. 47 million uninsured. False. subtract 15 million illegals. then subtract those without healthcare for 1 year and the number drops down to 8-10 million people. That's a fact the pro Hillary media will not report or explain.

2. So most people are uninsured because they lose their coverage at work in our fluid employment society. People switch jobs often and they lose coverage a few months while waiting for open enrollment in their new job. That's why for several months lots (30 million) are uninsured but for 1 year, very few are (8-10 million).

3. The tax code favors employer sponsored healthcare. It discourages individual's buying health care. Gotta fix the tax code.

4. HillaryCare 2.0 is essentially expands the worst of our present system. Its more and more employer based healthcare (which we all agree is failing) and more government paid for healthcare (which is a failure). Essentially she supports more failure🙂

5. If our system is failing because it is employer based, her system will only hasten that failure because its more employer based (and gov based).

6. Her ultimate goal is to push us towards European style socialized medicine/dentistry-- Hillarycare 2.0 will cause a crash of the current system which pushes us towards her ultimate goal of socialized medicine: HillaryCare 3.0. The same Cuban style healthcare she proposed in 1993.

7. Dentistry won't get effected by HillaryCare 2.0 but it will lead to universal healthcare (HillaryCare 3.0) and that is where dentists become government employees.

Love it.

 

[JavadiCavity]

Inspite of what she says, to implement Hilary Care 2.0 would require a HUGE tax increase(something politicians LOVE to do🙄). Every member of the house/senate that votes for a proposal such as this would "kindly" be reminded by their challenger at the next election cycle after this 12 headed moster has been implemented and it's not performing upto campaign promised expectations.

Politicians don't like situations like this. What they do like is forming about 25 different sub committees and/or study groups to investigate this, just so they can drag on about it for years and years to come. Then, if they actually get a proposal together that they can agree upon, members of both parties will attach funding for so many pork barrel projects onto the bill that both sides will have reasons to then vote it down and blame the other for its failure because of their prok barrel greed😡

In all reality dentistry being a "small" healthcare expediture compared to medicine would have it not be involved/included in this plan from day 1(just like HMO's). It also comes down to being all about the $$. And before someone goes and says "just pull the troops out of Iraq and you'll have all that extra $$$ for this", the amount spent over there vs. what Hilarycare 2.0 would really cost aren't even close.

Exactly. Couldn't agree more! In addition, I was listening to the radio the other day. They reported that nearly 40 million people in this country don't make enough income to pay taxes. However, they CAN vote. So, essentially, people who don't pay taxes have a voice in determining how much others should be taxed and how those tax dollars should be spent. And, although, I'm sure there is some exaggeration in those numbers, it still made my stomach turn.

 

[DrJeff]

Exactly. Couldn't agree more! In addition, I was listening to the radio the other day. They reported that nearly 40 million people in this country don't make enough income to pay taxes. However, they CAN vote. So, essentially, people who don't pay taxes have a voice in determining how much others should be taxed and how those tax dollars should be spent. And, although, I'm sure there is some exaggeration in those numbers, it still made my stomach turn.

On the flip side, you'd be amazed at how quickly one of yoour local congressmen/women will gladly attened a fund raiser for themselves hosted by a local dental society that will net them some moderate campaign contributions. A plus for us in this profession is that such fund raisers DO a great job at getting us a political ear that WILL listen to what we say.

While the voices of any potential voter is heard by an elected official, the voice of a voter who signs a fund raising check for that elected official often sounds a bit 'louder" and clearer.

 

[Robert Paulsen]

No health care plan involving insurance companies will ever be good for anyone but the politicians who help push it and the insurance company CEOs and their lawyers. Insurance companies don't make money by paying out claims. They make money by NOT paying out claims. They exist to PREVENT health care from being delivered. The CEO gets a big bonus for making the company more profitable- accomplished by collecting more money from subscribers and paying out less to health care providers or reducing reimbursements to subscribers for health care costs.

I have come to the conclusion that the only way to straighten out the mess is to move to a single-payer system - i.e. the government, funded by taxes. This will necessitate the creation of a huge bureauocracy to oversee the flow of money. I used to think this was a bad thing until I realized that the job of the bureauocracy would be to make sure that the money gets spent on health care. To me it seems better to pay people to make sure that health care is delivered than to pay people to make sure it isn't delivered, as we do now.

I also think we should eliminate the government employee's pension system and move them into social security like everyone else. Of course, they should all be on the new health care system, especially the politicians.

We deserve the politicians we elect.

RP

 

[armorshell]

No health care plan involving insurance companies will ever be good for anyone but the politicians who help push it and the insurance company CEOs and their lawyers. Insurance companies don't make money by paying out claims. They make money by NOT paying out claims. They exist to PREVENT health care from being delivered. The CEO gets a big bonus for making the company more profitable- accomplished by collecting more money from subscribers and paying out less to health care providers or reducing reimbursements to subscribers for health care costs.

I have come to the conclusion that the only way to straighten out the mess is to move to a single-payer system - i.e. the government, funded by taxes. This will necessitate the creation of a huge bureauocracy to oversee the flow of money. I used to think this was a bad thing until I realized that the job of the bureauocracy would be to make sure that the money gets spent on health care. To me it seems better to pay people to make sure that health care is delivered than to pay people to make sure it isn't delivered, as we do now.

The problem therein is that even with a single payer government system, you still have a "gatekeeper" allocating a fixed amount of money, and effectively making health care decisions for people. All you eliminate by moving to single payer system from the current one is"
1. The ""Bottom-line": A government run system isn't out to make a profit.
2. Convolution. I don't think there's really any doubt that a single payer system would be less complicated than the current system. (I'm not factoring in the massive, inevitable bureaucracy that would be spawned).

But the question you need to ask yourself is this: Is single-payer the best option out there? I think it's fairly foolish of us to believe that simply switching to single-payer will solve all of our health care problems. Our government has consistently proven that it's incapable of handling socialized health care on the small scale (Medicaid, medicaid, medical?) What's going to make this time different?

 

[HuyetKiem]

Our government has consistently proven that it's incapable of handling socialized health care on the small scale (Medicaid, medicaid, medical?) What's going to make this time different?

Don't forget its broken VA health-care system. 😕😕

 

[JavadiCavity]

1. The ""Bottom-line": A government run system isn't out to make a profit.

Good point. Don't forget, some big insurance companies are also operated as non-profit. For example, IHC is a huge privately owned insurance provider that runs as a non-profit insurance provider.

 

[OMSHopeful09]

The so called "bottom line" of a program like the one Hilary is proposing is to increase the governments control over more of our tax dollars for very little in return. Her proposal has nothing to do with health care, her only incentive is to be able to leverage more voters to her parties favor with the promise of more free money, a truly timeless political tactic. Because at the end of the day a politicians only real job is to get re-elected and nothing gets people out to vote more than oppertunity to get something for "free" ( I use the term free loosely, in the end it will end up wasting a whole lot of money). People who favor this "single payer" system must be cautioned to remember that the US governement is not a philanthropic organization, it is probally the most self-serving organization that I can think of. With all that being said I am not proposing that the Republican party can do any better. The only thing that will truely svolve the health care crisis in this country is for individual to take person responsiblitiy for their own well being and to stop waiting for somebody else to clean up their mess. But what the hell do I know, I just fix teeth 😀

 

[makushin]

Why do people think government will be efficient for health care economics when they are economically inept in EVERY other thing they do? Have you people worked around government employees or government agencies? I have.... They are a slow, wastefull, pathetic enterprise.

Also... how come the government can piss money away on noncompetitive contracts, cost-plus contracts, davis bacon contract wages, etc, making most any government contractor rich, and NOT PAY HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS A MARKET PRICE? We can not let this happen! Nobody is entitled to your skillset!

 

[HenryH]

Why do people think government will be efficient for health care economics when they are economically inept in EVERY other thing they do? Have you people worked around government employees or government agencies? I have.... They are a slow, wastefull, pathetic enterprise.

Also... how come the government can piss money away on noncompetitive contracts, cost-plus contracts, davis bacon contract wages, etc, making most any government contractor rich, and NOT PAY HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS A MARKET PRICE? We can not let this happen! Nobody is entitled to your skillset!

This is exactly what I'm afraid of -- the government takes over and dentist entrepreneurs are screwed (sort of like FP docs!)...

 

[armorshell]

This is exactly what I'm afraid of -- the government takes over and dentist entrepreneurs are screwed (sort of like FP docs!)...

Remember, none of the current plans for socialized health care include dentistry so far. I guess there's a hidden benefit to the fact that the general public doesn't consider us real doctors, or dentistry essential.

 

[Daurang]

I once worked for a government health center and can confirm it is highly lazy, wasteful and, inefficient. They'd "fully booked" me 10 patients a day but normally 2-5 would show up; and I'd be reading magazines most of the time. I tried to get an appointment for myself with my colleagues there, due to the high probability of no-shows, but they were "fully booked" and couldn't ever see me.

 

[Lesley]

I once worked for a government health center and can confirm it is highly lazy, wasteful and, inefficient. They'd "fully booked" me 10 patients a day but normally 2-5 would show up; and I'd be reading magazines most of the time. I tried to get an appointment for myself with my colleagues there, due to the high probability of no-shows, but they were "fully booked" and couldn't ever see me.

Dentistry in the military is funded with federal dollars. I don't remember having too many patient openings, in fact rarely. With the health care situation today, I think many would rather have access to a mediocre health care program than none of a better one. However, how good is health care today? Are HMO's so much better? Many cancer patients, even those with insurance, deplete their savings just to cover deductibles and copays. A universal system may not assure patients of the newest most up to date health care, but it would assure them of not going into poverty getting any. The situation is dire for many. Approximately half of all bankruptcy filings are due to medical crises. Our healthcare crisis is in the news again today. GM health care liabilities are under funded by 50-60 billion dollars. They want the UAW to accept half of this to establish a union health care program (VEBA). In addition, they want to make limited guarantees to UAW members regarding car manufacturing at US plants. If GM is already majorly underfunded while maintaing not so great profitability, how is the UAW going to stay on budget while mantaining the promises made with only half the funding and possibly less future work? Certainly, a conundrum.

 

[makushin]

The reality is that UAW is screwed in todays global economy. Let us hope they don't globalize dentistry by importing dentists. Unfortunatly, it's really only a matter of time. GDP at any cost, thats americas path.

 

[ptrianon]

Assuming Hillary got elected which is not as certain as people think, and her plan got enacted as is (very unlikely), it would be years before dentistry was was affected let alone incorporated into her health care system. It is much more likely that aspects of her plan like digitized patient records would be accepted, while "insurance for all" would never make it past congress. This of course assumes that Hillary would be willing to break apart her plan, which knowing her she wont. Also, even if we had a full blown socialist health care system people would seek pay-for-service dentistry in droves. Americans expect to have pretty white teeth and already pay large sums of money to get them. Now I know not everyone is gonna spring for veneers or full mouth reconstruction, but I don't think you can find to many regular people (unlike those that show up at dental schools) who are willing to have an amalgam or a gold crown on an anterior tooth.

 

[Lesley]

The reality is that UAW is screwed in todays global economy.

Unfortunately, the above statement may prove true unless the UAW is willing and, more aptly, able to be financially competitive with the rest of the world. However, the ability to do this and retain the benefits and pay they are accustomed to is at odds with the economic realities of today's manufacturing financial picture. I was listening Bloomberg radio yesterday. This was a comment from one of it's analysts regarding Detroit, Michigan, "The average age of the employees at McDonalds in Detroit is 50. It's disturbing." Universal health care may, with all the possible downsides, allow US companies to continue to want to do business in the US. This is an investment that in the not so far future will be critical to all of us.

 

[groundhog]

Absent an economic depression, dentistry will be the place to be despite Hillarycare or what ever you want to call it.


1:Given today's ever increasing adulation of "youth and sex" in the USA, more and more folks will opt for cosmetic dentistry.

2: Moms and Dads will make sure that their "precious princes and princeses " get quality dental care. At the upper end of the economic scale, "Paige just loves her pedodontist" will be familiar bragadacio around haunts like Rodeo Drive.

3: A lot of SDNers have already noted that millions of boomers whoose molars are filled to the max with amalgam will now have to face the fact that crowns, root canals, and implants as their next viable option. Dentures are out of the question for those folks.

4: All of the above will not change if Hillarycare becomes the law of the land. What would change for dentistry, is more kids entering the market seeking dental care with an ability to pay for the service.

 

[pine88]

Just wanted to contribute my 2 cents here. Hope this doesn't sound like a lecture but...


2. So most people are uninsured because they lose their coverage at work in our fluid employment society. People switch jobs often and they lose coverage a few months while waiting for open enrollment in their new job. That's why for several months lots (30 million) are uninsured but for 1 year, very few are (8-10 million).

I disagree with this. In the jobs I had before dental school (4 jobs, lasting about 5 years) I didn't have insurance because either:

1) the company flat out didn't give us insurance,
or
2) I was hired as a "contract worker" so that they didn't have to insure me,
or
3) they would only hire workers for 25 or 35hrs - whatever the maximum # of hours were that still qualified as part-time (vs. full time, since they only have to pay insurance for full-timers). So people end up holding 2 or 3 part time jobs; working 40+ hours a week and still no insurance.

Situations like these are common. And often even if the worker is employed, often their children are not. A huge number of children in the US are uninsured or under-insured.


On a separate note: so what about dental salaries? What do you think will happen to them if/when we get universal healthcare that includes dentistry?
(I didn't make it through all the posts in the thread. If this has been covered let me know)

 

[doubledizzle13]

I thought obama's plan did include dental to some degree, did I understand his webpage incorrectly? (i'm too lazy to look it up again🙂)

 

[MarkND]

As an aside, did you read about Bush's comment during a press conference today that Nelson Mandela was killed by Saddam Hussein? I'm sure Mr. Mandela got a kick out of that while he was reading the morning paper.

In behalf of my fellow Texans, I apologize for his unforeseen comments !!! He memorized the wrong name in that morning perhaps. It happens!

 

[ItsGavinC]

On a separate note: so what about dental salaries? What do you think will happen to them if/when we get universal healthcare that includes dentistry?
(I didn't make it through all the posts in the thread. If this has been covered let me know)

Salaries will go in the crapper. But I don't think we'll get universal healthcare in a true sense of the word in that we will be mandated to be providers. I think we'll have a choice as to whether or not we wish to accept the "universal" insurance, similar to Medicaid.

 

[crazy4clana]

I don't believe in Hilary Clinton, she is a figment of my imagination. 🙂 Ron Paul isn't my favorite contender either for universal health care.

I think either way, health care porfessions will go down the sh*tter. Because as you know, doctors are the root of evil.

 

[dds2016]

The only thing that will truely solve the health care crisis in this country is for individuals to take person responsiblitiy for their own well being and to stop waiting for somebody else to clean up their mess. But what the hell do I know, I just fix teeth 😀

Exactly. If people would stop begging for free everything and go out and get a job they most likely would have health care. I have worked as a carpenter, an aircraft electrician, and a few small jobs like UPS etc. all of which had insurance coverage including dental. Get a job. Stop asking for handouts.

 

[dds2016]

I disagree with this. In the jobs I had before dental school (4 jobs, lasting about 5 years) I didn't have insurance because either:

1) the company flat out didn't give us insurance,
or
2) I was hired as a "contract worker" so that they didn't have to insure me,
or
3) they would only hire workers for 25 or 35hrs - whatever the maximum # of hours were that still qualified as part-time (vs. full time, since they only have to pay insurance for full-timers). So people end up holding 2 or 3 part time jobs; working 40+ hours a week and still no insurance.

Situations like these are common. And often even if the worker is employed, often their children are not. A huge number of children in the US are uninsured or under-insured.

The jobs you speak of are "start up" jobs not meant for careers. Generally those jobs are held by young kids that don't really need insurance in the first place. People in general must be proactive and find jobs that give insurance. The problem is that a lot of these people, not all of course, don't want the jobs that give insurance because it means a lot of hard work and/or they don't have the qualifications. If they don't have the qualifications it is their fault and their fault alone. I don't want to pay higher taxes so people that aren't contributors to society can receive FREE healthcare.

Just to let you know when I got laid off as a carpenter for a few months I lost insurance, during which time I got injured and was forced to pay out of my pocket. It happens. 3000 bucks to splint a dislocated ankle.

 

[qwerty86]

If this country plans on going into socialized medicine. This means lower wage for dentist. But it is now their responsibility to fund every dental schools. This will make it fair for all of us.

 

[Gunner McGee]

I realize that her proposal only specifies a national mandate for health (not dental) insurance, but what are the chances that it would eventually expand to require dental insurance? Isn't one of the main reasons dentists (on average) do so well financially because of the fact that most of them don't deal with insurance companies?

I wouldn't worry about Hillary, the insurance compaines have her in their pockets - you should expect the status quo is she is elected

 

[jay47]

Inspite of what she says, to implement Hilary Care 2.0 would require a HUGE tax increase(something politicians LOVE to do🙄). Every member of the house/senate that votes for a proposal such as this would "kindly" be reminded by their challenger at the next election cycle after this 12 headed moster has been implemented and it's not performing upto campaign promised expectations.

Politicians don't like situations like this. What they do like is forming about 25 different sub committees and/or study groups to investigate this, just so they can drag on about it for years and years to come. Then, if they actually get a proposal together that they can agree upon, members of both parties will attach funding for so many pork barrel projects onto the bill that both sides will have reasons to then vote it down and blame the other for its failure because of their prok barrel greed😡

In all reality dentistry being a "small" healthcare expediture compared to medicine would have it not be involved/included in this plan from day 1(just like HMO's). It also comes down to being all about the $$. And before someone goes and says "just pull the troops out of Iraq and you'll have all that extra $$$ for this", the amount spent over there vs. what Hilarycare 2.0 would really cost aren't even close.

I would encourage everyone, and I mean everyone to look at this website. Someone said something earlier made their stomach churn, well, this makes me boil...

http://www.nationalpriorities.org/t..._item_item=286&submit_tradeoffs=Get+Trade+Off

Or, just read this, but the website is really great.


"Taxpayers in the United States will pay $139.4 billion for projected Iraq War Spending for FY 2009. For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided:

41,085,070 People with Health Care for One Year"

 

[jay47]

Exactly. If people would stop begging for free everything and go out and get a job they most likely would have health care. I have worked as a carpenter, an aircraft electrician, and a few small jobs like UPS etc. all of which had insurance coverage including dental. Get a job. Stop asking for handouts.

First of all, never generalize like this. MOST people are not asking for a handout, MOST people have had some bad luck and do work hard for their money. MOST people deserve to have good health, the most important thing in anyone's life. However SOME people are lazy and will want a handout, don't ruin it for MOST people just because of a minority. I'm sorry, but if I have to sacrifice some money for a few people to keep them healthy, I will in a heartbeat.

Socialized heathcare probably won't happen, because as someone pointed out earlier, insurance companies have politicians in their back pockets, but that doesn't mean that we as dentists can't give back to those who need care, but are unable to afford it. Pay it forward.

 

[jay47]

If this country plans on going into socialized medicine. This means lower wage for dentist. But it is now their responsibility to fund every dental schools. This will make it fair for all of us.

Very well said indeed.

 

[jay47]

Absent an economic depression, dentistry will be the place to be despite Hillarycare or what ever you want to call it.


1:Given today's ever increasing adulation of "youth and sex" in the USA, more and more folks will opt for cosmetic dentistry.

2: Moms and Dads will make sure that their "precious princes and princeses " get quality dental care. At the upper end of the economic scale, "Paige just loves her pedodontist" will be familiar bragadacio around haunts like Rodeo Drive.

3: A lot of SDNers have already noted that millions of boomers whoose molars are filled to the max with amalgam will now have to face the fact that crowns, root canals, and implants as their next viable option. Dentures are out of the question for those folks.

4: All of the above will not change if Hillarycare becomes the law of the land. What would change for dentistry, is more kids entering the market seeking dental care with an ability to pay for the service.

This is true FOR SOME REGIONS, aka- Beverly Hills, LA, NY, but for the rest of the dentists in small rural town USA, we will have patients that have half of their teeth and won't be able to pay. THAT is who the national insurance program is directed at.

 

[toofshucker]

"Taxpayers in the United States will pay $139.4 billion for projected Iraq War Spending for FY 2009. For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided:

41,085,070 People with Health Care for One Year"

Had Clinton apprehended Bin Laden one of the many times he had the opportunity to, there would be no war in Iraq today. The twin towers would still be standing, thousands of Americans would still be alive and the middle east probably wouldn't have the confidence they have today to cause this unrest.

 

[toofshucker]

This is true FOR SOME REGIONS, aka- Beverly Hills, LA, NY, but for the rest of the dentists in small rural town USA, we will have patients that have half of their teeth and won't be able to pay. THAT is who the national insurance program is directed at.

I disagree. People in Smalltown, ND or wherever still watch MTV and E! and want to look good too. Don't think for a minute that people in small town's do not want to look better than their neighbor.

 

[Daurang]

I would encourage everyone, and I mean everyone to look at this website. Someone said something earlier made their stomach churn, well, this makes me boil...

http://www.nationalpriorities.org/t..._item_item=286&submit_tradeoffs=Get+Trade+Off

Or, just read this, but the website is really great.


"Taxpayers in the United States will pay $139.4 billion for projected Iraq War Spending for FY 2009. For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided:

41,085,070 People with Health Care for One Year"

You think the war in Iraq is costing us too much?

$11 billion to $22 billion is spent on welfare to illegal aliens each year by state governments.
$2.2 billion dollars a year is spent on food assistance programs such as food stamps, WIC, and free school lunches for illegal aliens.
$2.5 billion dollars a year is spent on Medicaid for illegal aliens.
$12 billion dollars a year spent on primary and secondary school education for children here illegally.
$17 billion dollars a year is spent for education for the American-born children of illegal aliens, known as anchor babies.
$3 Million dollars a DAY is spent to incarcerate illegal aliens.
$90 billion dollars a year is spent on illegal aliens for Welfare & social services by the American taxpayers.
$200 billion dollars a year in suppressed American wages caused by illegal aliens.
During the year of 2005 there were 4 to 10 MILLION illegal aliens that crossed our Southern Border also, as many as 19,500 illegal aliens from Terrorist Countries. Millions of pounds of drugs, cocaine, meth, heroin and marijuana, crossed into the U. S from the Southern border.
In 2006 illegal aliens sent home $45 BILLION in remittances back to their countries of origin.

The total cost is a whopping $338.3 BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR!!