Just So You Know

Because I didn't. 

If you're ever poor enough to qualify for Medi-Cal health insurance, you'd better hope you never get a toothache.  Because if you do, your options are a) to ignore it, or b) to go to a county hospital, get antibiotics for the infection, and make an appointment to go back to have the tooth pulled.  That's it. Forget fillings, root canals, and crowns.  Not covered.

This came up because a friend who's a social worker has a client with an abscess in her mouth.  She's in pain.  You or I would call our dentist immediately, or perhaps even show up at his/her office at 8 am as one friend of mine did in such a circumstance.  But no.

This lady has two options:  She can take two busses to the county hospital ER and get antibiotics and an extraction because it's deemed a "medical necessity."

Or she can take her chances at a lottery for dental care that's held infrequently on Tuesday nights at 6 pm at a Berkeley church.  This program is run by the Suitcase Clinic, a stellar program administered entirely by volunteer UC Berkeley students. The first ten clients to sign up are entered into a lottery; only two or three are chosen at random for that night's dental services, offered by volunteer dentists, at the Berkeley Free Clinic.   If you're not chosen,  it's two busses to the county hospital and an extraction. 

When I heard this, I got so worked up, I was ready to call my dentist on Monday morning and plead for pro bono care. Or negotiate for a reduced fee, which I would cover. For all I know, he already provides free care through the Berkeley Free Clinic.

There are a couple of other options, according to my friend.  The Native Health Clinic and the Asian Health Clinic charge only about $70 for a filling, but that's out of the questions for Welfare-to-Work mothers getting $200 month and food stamps.  Dental schools also charge for their services.


I get a view into the meagre, obstacle-filled world of the poor when I volunteer at the Berkeley Food Pantry.  I see their desperation when I tell them that they've come too often that month,  and we can give them only very little food.  We all know that eating is not an option, and the volunteers in the back room scrounge around to give clients something to keep them going.  But dental care isn't an option, either.   Am I missing something? (Fortunately, due to good luck and dental care, not teeth.)