Mar 25, 2008 5:36 pm US/Eastern
Howard Co. Now Provides Universal Dental Care
HOWARD COUNTY, Md. (WJZ) ―
Health care is universal in Howard County. Now, so is dental care.
Gigi Barnett reports county leaders unveiled plans for all residents to have access to health benefits.
Every child needs a good dental check-up. Adults need it too, but many uninsured people live without it.
"It is a major problem for virtually all uninsured folks that they do not have easy or often any access to dental care," said Dr. Peter Beilenson with the Howard County Health Department.
That's unless they live in Howard County. A new plan that provides health care to all residents now also includes dental visits.
County leaders teamed up with Aetna to unveil the idea this week.
"People will become healthier if we invest in wellness and prevention," said Ken Ulman, Howard County Executive.
Right now about 20,000 Howard County residents don't have any health insurance.
Now, for $1.65 a month a person can be covered. A family in Howard County can receive dental care for a little more than $3.
"Most of these people are working folks and we're helping them to overcome barriers to healthy living," said Ulman.
Good health was a barrier for 12-year-old Diamonte Driver. He died last year after bacteria from an abscessed tooth spread to his brain.
His family didn't have dental insurance.
"More and more information has been coming out on the health consequences of poor dental health, including cardiovascular disease," said Dr. Beilenson.
About 2,000 people will receive dental coverage through the Howard County plan in the first year of the program. About 75 Howard County dentists are teaming up with the county to provide dental care.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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