Miss Pennypincher: what's the drill about dental care

Denplan is one of the biggest providers of capitation schemes, with 1.8m patients who are registered with more than 6,500 dentists – a third of practising dentists. It has an 80 per cent share of the entire dental plan market, and also offers cash plans and dental insurance.

In order to sign up to Denplan, your dentist must first give you an oral assessment. You must then decide how comprehensive you want the cover to be and can choose from the Denplan Essentials policy which is more basic than the Denplan Care scheme which covers a wider range of treatments.

The Denplan Care policy, for example, covers all normal routine dental care including X-rays, examinations fillings and preventive care, as well as restorative care such as gum treatment, crowns, bridges, dentures and inlays, and root fillings.

The Essentials plan, however, does not include any restorative dental treatment, and neither plan covers cosmetic dentistry, orthodontics, nor referrals to specialists. Denplan dentists set their own fees, so these will vary depending on the location of the practice, the costs of its overheads and your oral health. However, the average fee for Denplan Care is £18.05 a month, while for Denplan Essentials, it is £11.27.

Plans for children are typically £6.99. For more information, or to find a Denplan dentist, visit the website www.denplan.co.uk.

Another way of covering steep dental costs is to consider insurance, which is available through companies such as Boots. Its NHS cover is designed to repay your NHS dental charges and costs £9 a month. This provides cover of up to £500 a year for routine treatment and £500 for accidental dental injuries.

Level 1 Private cover costs £13.50 a month and will pay out up to £750 a year for routine treatment, and up to £1,000 a year for dental injuries. Cover for emergencies is unlimited. Boots Level 2 cover costs £19.50 a month, but will pay out up to £1,000 and £1,500 for routine treatment and dental injuries respectively, with cover for emergencies again unlimited. For routine treatments, you must have been on the plan for three months before you can make a claim. For more information, visit www.boots.com, or call 0845 840 1111.

The third type of dental cover you can buy is through health cash plans. These will contribute towards your routine healthcare costs. They work by paying out a cash sum whenever you visit a dentist or other medical practitioner, such as a chiropodist or optician, which you can spend on what you want. HSF's Health Plans, for example, start from £6 a month.

As well as dental treatment, the plan covers other medical expenses, such as practitioner treatment including physiotherapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, homeopathy and podiatry, and specialist investigation and treatment. However, if you opt for the lowest level of cover, at £6 a month, the maximum you can claim back for both dental and optical costs is just £50 in any one year.

The highest level of cover, which costs £78 a month, will pay out a maximum of £850 a year for dental and optical treatment. To find out more, visit hsf.eu.com. Similarly, Medicash's health cash plans, start at £6.50 a month. The cover is available to anyone aged between 16 and 65 and the policy also includes payments for visits to the optician, overnight hospital stays, homeopathy, physiotherapy, having a baby and breaking a bone. Again, if you opt for the lowest level of cover, the maximum you can claim back for dental costs alone is £50 in any one year.

The highest level of cover, which costs £39 a month, will pay out a maximum of £300 a year for dental treatment costs. See www.medicash.org. HSA, at www.hsa.co.uk, offers a dental-only cash plan which offers three levels of cover, priced at £7.35, £12.60 and £17.85 a month respectively.

The more you pay, the more cover you get. So, for example, the maximum the lowest-cost plan will pay out for crowns or bridges is £200, rising to £500 if you take out either of the higher cost plans.

Whichever form of dental cover you opt for, you must always ensure you understand exactly which procedures are – and aren't – included, and what limits are in place, as being caught out over the small print is enough to leave anyone feeling down in the mouth

Dental insurance

Dental insurance covers all or part of the costs of routine and emergency dental treatment with a private or NHS dentist.

As finding low cost NHS dentists becomes harder, more and more people are turning towards private dentists to give their teeth the dental care they deserve. The cost of visiting the dentist has risen sharply, having dental insurance can help policyholders afford treatment for their teeth.

SAG Fair to Cover Health from Head to Toe

By Tim Saccardo One of the biggest national issues in this year's presidential election is also one of the biggest personal issues for actors: health care. In a freelance industry like entertainment, most actors have few options for acquiring health insurance. Some are fortunate enough to get union benefits, others pay out of pocket, and many who cannot afford steadily rising premiums do not have health insurance at all -- a risky proposition when a brief emergency room visit can run up a bill totaling tens of thousands of dollars.Even those actors who qualify for the Screen Actors Guild's health plan one year are at risk of losing those benefits the next if they do not meet the annual earnings minimum of $13,790 or at least 74 days of employment. According to the Department of Labor, the average annual income SAG members earn from acting is less than $5,000. But SAG is one union determined not to leave its members out in the cold. For the fifth year, the guild's HealthCare SafetyNet committee is holding its free Health Fair for all union members May 14, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at the guild's headquarters in Hollywood."The SafetyNet committee started during the Clinton [administration]. We survived through Bush, and all politicians seem to do is talk," said Reneé Aubry, national chair of the committee and a member of the guild's national board of directors. "We began as a research committee on alternative insurance. What came out of that was the realization that it was going to take a long time until [our country] achieved national health care. So in the meantime, the SafetyNet committee could provide some much needed services to our community."Our Health Fair is to help those who are underinsured and uninsured and in those years in which they do not qualify for insurance," explained Aubry, who organizes the event. "This year we're having HIV testing for the first time. We have massage therapy, body-fat analysis, skin-cancer exams, blood-pressure consultation. We have a podiatrist; we have dental awareness. Now we're even bringing on board some medical health service clinics: nutrition and weight control, Pap smear referral, and prostate referral. We're covering the entire spectrum of the body, inside and out, from head to toe."

With a turnout of more than 750 people last year, Aubry has seen the Health Fair grow in leaps and bounds from its modest origins. "At first, because we didn't have a budget, we just brought in the Red Cross to give blood pressure screenings before our membership meetings.... Now [the fair] is in both the Cagney and the AFTRA boardrooms, and we're out on the street as well at the same time."At this year's fair, the number of provider groups will number nearly 30, and there will be more than 100 participating physicians and support staff donating their time and services. One medical professional who has volunteered at every Health Fair from the beginning is podiatrist Dr. Richard M. Cooper. "I always enjoy interacting with the members within the industry and am happy to offer my services," said Cooper, who will once again be providing free foot screenings. "I will be using the aid of foot models, foot bones, and medical brochures. My objective is to answer any questions [actors] may have as well as inform and educate members regarding their conditions with the options available to them. I feel it's very important to provide this service regarding their health care issues, regardless of their insurance status."Aubry also emphasized the event's confidentiality: "These are all medical professionals, and everything is held in the strictest privacy. There are no pictures allowed to be taken of the members because many members do not like [the public] to know that they're not making their insurance [minimum]."The Health Fair is open to all industry union members and their dependents," Aubry said. "AFTRA has been invited, Actors' Equity, the Writers Guild, the casting directors -- anyone can come who is in the industry."

Insurance is among latest services available for truck drivers

As profit margins from fuel sales continue to shrink, truck-stop operators are looking for new ways to create revenue by offering more varied amenities, including medical clinics and truck-insurance agents.The truck-stop industry is only about 35 years old, said Fred Kirschner, operator/franchisee for Scranton Petro, based in Haverford Township, Delaware County, outside Philadelphia. "The late '70s was really the start of the modern truck stop, where all the services are operated by one person or company," Kirschner said. Previously, each service, such as a restaurant or fuel pump, was owned separately, he said. From the 1970s until the 1990s, fuel was the main revenue source, but fuel profit margins have continued to decrease since then as prices increase. With the widespread availability of cell phones and the Internet, companies can keep track of fuel prices and direct drivers to specific stops for the best prices. "It used to be that these compliance programs were for just the big fleets," Kirschner said. "But now, even the independent drivers are using them." Truck plazas have done a good job of keeping customers and finding new ones, said Jim Runk, executive director for the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association."Drivers are still looking for cleanliness, good food and a shower," Runk said. "But they are also taking advantage of the engine-idling systems and other services, too."Mindy Long, vice president of communications for NATSO Inc., formerly the National Association of Truck Stop Operators, said truck-plaza managers are working harder to bring in customers. "We're still seeing a lot of the traditional services like restaurants and showers," she said. "But many are adding new services, as they cater to those who see the stops as a home away from home."Traditionally, truck stops have offered convenience stores, game and movie rooms, laundromats, check cashing and truck maintenance. Some of the newer services include medical and dental clinics, massage therapy, chiropractic care, truck-insurance agencies and barber shops. "For long-haul drivers who need simple medical care, these clinics are great," she said. "And we're seeing some locals who come to the clinics as well."Drivers also can receive spiritual care, as many truck stops have chaplains on staff, or available through a local church.Internet connections are offered at just about every stop, Long said. Some offer Internet access only inside the plaza, but, increasingly, drivers opt to stay in their cabs using idle-reduction services that provide electricity as well as heat or air conditioning while their engines are off.A bit like a drive-in movie theater, a cable and wide hose are connected to a window insertion on the cab to reduce idling. The innovation is partly in response to legislation pending in the state House of Representatives limiting truck idling to five minutes per hour, Long said. Some drivers also use the idle-reduction service because it's quieter and saves fuel. An idling truck uses about one gallon of diesel per hour. With prices hovering around $4.25 per gallon, the $1 per hour charge for idling reduction is well worth the price, Long said. Because truck cabs can be nearly self-contained for comfort and entertainment, truck-stop owners need ways to encourage the drivers to come inside the plazas. They are also trying to attract a new customer; Long called them "four-wheel traffic.""Owners are offering familiar brands of restaurants and shops in order to attract families on vacation," Long said. "They generally keep the truck areas separate, in part, because they know the truck drivers want to get in and out quickly. Time is money for them, while the families usually have more time to linger."Professional drivers and families are also looking for healthier foods and more options, Long said. As more women join the trucking industry, Long said more women's items are being offered in convenience stores, and some store owners want to create a more family-friendly atmosphere. Brighter outdoor lighting and grassy areas are becoming more common.The truck plazas of today aren't as rough as the stereotype, Kirschner said. "Most people are afraid of them, until they actually visit one," he said. "We're trying to let people know it's a good place to rest and relax."

Lack of funds forces Maine clinic to shutdown

(Amy Sinclair, NECN: Auburn, Maine) - Instead of asking patients to open wide, the hygienists here at the Western Maine children's Dental Center spent the day preparing to shut down. It's not for lack of business.
Beryl: "The need is phenomenal, we’ve seen more than a thousand patients in the year we've been here."
The problem is much more basic, this clinic that caters exclusively to low-income kids can't pay its bills.
Dr. Wicks: "I hate to say the clichés but it's about money."
Dr. Dennis Wicks, who provided the clinic's dentistry, says it's the same story in public health dental care across Maine.
He says their reimbursement level from MaineCare --the state's insurance system--isn't high enough for them to cover expenses.
Wicks: "however if we take the pessimistic attitude it's a formula of failure there won't be any care there's going to be a tremendous need that's totally unmet."
Sinclair: Maine care families don't have a lot of options. Private practice dentists are often unwilling to take them on because of the low reimbursement rate forget breaking even. It actually costs money to see the patients."
When you figure in the shortage of dentists across northern New England, you begin to see why more kids are showing up in emergency rooms with toothaches.
Sarah: "It's a huge problem that isn't going to go away soon we've just had budget cuts at the state level..."

Rockingham County Free Clinic celebrates anniversary

Libby Barrett, right, signs for a prescription to be filled by Phyllis Richardson, a pharmacy technician at the Free Clinic of Rockingham County, on Tuesday evening.

Steve & Barry's makes a sneak attack

Want to get a whole lot of mileage out of that tax rebate check (or, as my Australian friend recently referred to it, "government hush money")? After paying off rent, car insurance, the credit card bill, student loans, dental bills, phone charges and parking tickets, why not use the remaining $8.98 to pick up a new summer dress at Steve & Barry's? A story in the Thursday edition of the New York Times style section reports that the discount mall chain is quietly running circles around its competition. In addition to snagging a few exclusive celeb clothing lines -- most notably, Sarah Jessica Parker and her so-so label, Bitten -- the megastore undersells the competition. Forever 21, Target and Old Navy sell thrifty wares, but not quite this thrifty. Everything at Steve & Barry's is $8.98, but the key is, it doesn't look that cheap (it doesn't exactly look pricey, either, so take it for what it's worth). The natural concern, when seeing prices that low is, "Why is this so cheap? Something can't be right." Visions of an unpaid, overseas worker slumped over in a sweatshop, stitching away at a floral sundress come to mind, and you slowly put the dress back on the rack and inch away ( at least that's what happened to me). Store creators Steve Shore and Barry Prevor are quick to dissuade the notion the cheap prices are a product of cruel labor practices. Instead, they say the prices are a result of thrifty in-house spending and a lack of brand glitz. The low-key approach to marketing and affordable "fashions" are the reasons it's an under-the-radar success. Does this mean I'll give SJP's Bitten a second chance? I suppose it can't hurt, and I do need something to wear to the theater on May 30. Email Tricia Woolfenden at twoolfenden@grpress.com.