Medical Tourism: Why is dental tourism or dental travel attractive for the uninsured

Dental tourism is a subset of medical tourism. Dental tourism is also known as tooth tourism and dental travel. In the United States, the main reason tourists seek dental care abroad is the cost advantage care providers abroad offers.

In Canada and in Europe, countries with social medicine, people have to be on wait-lists to be approved for extensive dental procedures such as dental implants, crowns, bridges and prosthetics.

In the United States, those who have just received approval for dental insurance may have to wait up to six months to get dental fillings done, and up to a year to get approval for bridge work and other more extensive dental work such as oral surgery, root canal, periodontal work, or dental implants. Even with the wait time requirement, the cost would still require a co-payment or co-pay where the dental insurance company will pay only a portion of the entire dental expense and the insured pays the rest. The amount of co-pay also depends on the insured's chosen deductible and monthly premium plan.

Going to other countries to receive this care from highly trained care providers for the fraction of the cost makes dental tourism an attractive option for the uninsured or for those whose insurance plans do not cover their full dental expenses. Additionally, a trip to an exotic paradise is a boost to anyone's morale.

CNN Truth Squad: Will dental insurance be offered under the proposed Health Insurance Exchange?

The Statement: Mike, from Bristol, Connecticut, told CNN that "I've heard dental service will not be covered under the Health Insurance Exchange. Seems like we have to wait for a tooth to become life-threatening before it is considered health care. Why is my mouth not considered part of my health?"

The Facts: Under the administration's health-care overhaul, people can keep their own health insurance. Under a proposed Health Insurance Exchange, uninsured people can pick from private and public options for health care, and the proposed public option in one House bill offers dental care.

The proposed "basic" public plan would cover dental/oral health for "children under 21 years of age." Adults could get coverage under another "premium-plus" public plan that would cost more.

These are spelled out in H.R. 3200 — America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 — on pages 28 and 86-87.

There are doubts among health-care policy experts that dental care will see the light of day in the public plan.

Professor Debra Street, an expert in health-care policy at State University of New York-Buffalo, is among those who doubt dental coverage will end up in the final public option if such an option is in the final bill hammered out by lawmakers.

That's because of the track record with other federal health-care programs. Dental coverage hasn't been available in Medicare and it hasn't been well-funded in Medicaid, where coverage differs state by state, Street said.

The details of the plan are still undetermined as lawmakers work to shape the legislation.

The Verdict: True but incomplete. The basic public plan in the House would only cover dental care for children under 21, but an adult could pay extra for the coverage.

What about Eye and Dental Insurance?

I mean real insurance---not a list of shysters on a list who will clean them free and find problems. (only 3-4 hundred dollars per year insurance).

I know several people who have spent 30-40,000 dollars in a year for implants, gum disease, caps, bridges, etc. All out of pocket.

Ever notice that rich people or high wage earners have prettier teeth than the 50% of us who make under 50,000 per year?

It is also now known that bad teeth cause about as much health problems as does lack of many other maintenance items.

Many also suffer with their eyes for cataracts, macular holes, and 20 year old glasses due to no insurance.

It is time.