Modern Hygienist - October 2008 - (Page 47)

POLITICS | life Senator Barack Obama Democrat, Illinois 47 years old Healthcare Soundbite: “Income-based subsidies” barackobama.com neither campaign responded when asked to comment for this story. Which of these proposals would be better for the dental industry and the nation’s oral health is a matter of opinion. However, it is clear that an overhaul to the healthcare system could impact the number of Americans seeking dental care and the next president’s economic and tax policies could impact the bottom line at many practices. “We know healthcare is broken in this country, and both candidates know it’s broken and America will be looking for the next administration to do something,” says Jeff Album, director of public affairs for Delta Dental of California. “Something will be done and it’s going to be vital for the dental industry that people who are experts and understand what’s happening in dental care and the delivery of dental care to be involved in the process.” employer-provided healthcare insurance most Americans currently receive, thereby increasing the number of people without insurance. In both plans there could be a great increase in the number of Americans looking into purchasing healthcare on the open market. Dental industry advocates such as Oral Health America President and CEO Beth Truett are focused on increasing access to dental care, and they are concerned that not enough people are aware of the link between oral health and overall health, and might forego any dental coverage. “If people need to go out and search for their own oral healthcare insurance as they would for their general healthcare, that is going to present a challenge,” she says. The dental insurance industry sees the situation in even more dire terms. Album agrees that access to dental care is a big issue going forward because improved access will lead to increased use of dental services. He worries that fewer people with dental coverage will mean fewer Americans will pursue preventive services, and the nation’s oral and overall health could suffer. “The surest way to ruin the current level of access to dental care for the 170 million Americans who do have coverage would be to eliminate the watch this! To hear Senator Barack Obama describe his healthcare plan, click on the video below. POSSIBLE IMPACT Obama’s healthcare plan has been criticized for its price tag, which some analysts estimate could be as high as $100 billion annually. On the other hand, McCain’s proposal is raising concerns from people who believe it will lead to an end to the October 2008 | modern hygienist 47 http://www.barackobama.com http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid901176779/bclid900672311/bctid1842739468

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Modern Hygienist - October 2008

Modern Hygienist - October 2008 Contents Editor's Letter Letters News Modern Solutions Trends: Homecare Trends: Perio Trends: Ergo Trends: Mid Care After Chemo Professional Rewind Esthetic Expertise: Make or Break Relationship Hands-on Hygiene: Have You Seen the Light? Going the Distance Training for Life Presi-dental Politics Ad Index Moonlighting

Modern Hygienist - October 2008

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