Dollars vs. Dentist paper
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DollarsandDentistsffffffffffff.docxRunning Head: DOLLARS AND DENTISTS
DOLLARS AND DENTISTS 10
Dollars and Dentists
Student’s Name:
Institution Affiliation:
Dollars and Dentists
Patients
Health care is a basic right for each and every citizen. However, in other sectors such as dentistry it can be said to be a privilege. The case in this section is very different if the case in the video Dollars and Dentists has to go by (Workshop, 2017). The joke they used to make to the British about their teeth. The dental care is so expensive and it’s no longer a right but a privilege to the citizens. It’s so expensive even with insurance covers few people can afford. There are only two option, credit card debit or Medicaid. This situation has led to raise of corporate dental chains that are supposed to cater for them but instead exploit them.
Most people exploited are of low incomes and most people who have serious problems that has been neglected over time because of failure to raise the money needed for treatment. One patient who is a truck driver explains how he lacks the insurance cover and has never been attended for. Business is also involved at this time because for him to be checked he was to pay $7,000. And the other option was to sign or get a care card (Bird, 2018). Patient’s responsibility: they have the right to get the treatment in the country. Patients are not supposed to assume their oral health. Then they should also keep the appointments with the doctors. They already afford those services because bills has been raised by other stakeholder involvement. They shouldn’t stick to payment as they are also compromised (In Walker, 2014). Yes they should clearly read the agreement. The ethical factor here is contractual and through this they will not be compromised.
Care givers
In the video we get to notice how children are affected, we meet Florida grandmother who tries to find a doctor for the child but the doctor doesn’t accept Medicaid. The child is in real pain, but the doctors is not emotional and sensitive enough or even loving. Many more children go through the general anesthesia because of the pain. The doctors are nowhere to be found and if found they are not enough. As a result, this has even lead to death or improper removal of teeth. The delays have led to permanent injuries (Bird, 2018). The doctors in their Defense says that the Medicaid never pays them in time and the rate of reimbursement is low compared to other insurance providers.
Its only few dentists participate in this program. Possible course of action. First the main reason why many dentists are running away from Medicaid and Medicare is because of low reimbursement in the private dental sector. Therefore, the government should increase the amount to meet people’s needs. Something that makes them do what they do is because they are not being motivated and their career can’t flourish if they are not paid. If they do charity work which is ethical will they provide quality services and where will the funding of those services come from. Yes they are supposed to be comfortable in their line of duty
. They are not to give away their services for charity because they want keep the clinic running for long and also won’t access resources. They should not access such small amount from Medicaid. They will be pressured to provide quantity over quality. It’s very risky because other facility mighty rendering them for free. The ethical factor is charity and professional obligation. Charity goes hand in hand with how the organization can afford the normal running of the project. And in most cases charity is a collaboration of many organization and it must have a stable or sustainable flow of income. It’s an ethical dilemma as the provider to work according t the best interest of the client or patient but again how will they sustain th process.
It’s ironically when we observe that dentist who own their facility or clinics are faced with a lot of debt that is approximated to tbe$261, 000 as per 2016. At the same time this health providers have families and they are trying to make a living out of those clinics. However they might have many choices to work for others either part time or even full time and they are also privileged to charge the positions they feel. Therefore, something mighty be wrong somewhere. The problem that might be the root cause of the challenges faced by private owners is due to the low reimbursement by Medicaid.
They receive very low rate of funding. Only 20 percent of the reimbursement goes to the private dentists. This can make it hard for the survival of any business. The clinic needs to be ru with money as the resources for the managing those clinics is needed. Patients are supposed to receive quality cares and when the clinic is not generating any income how it will meet the goal of any facility. This will mean that the services provided will not meet the need of those patients and at the end of the day they will run away from those clinics. Medicaid and Medicaid and the government are to blame for the outcome of the low admission rate in most of the facility under Medicaid cover.
Another ethical dilemma presented in this situation is provision of quality services to the patients. How will the dentist do this when government program that is Medicaid is not funding the project with enough money? According to the ACA, the patients are entitled to quality services. According to the ethical principle, it says that the system should exercise beneficence, meaning that the providers should make sure that their action affect te patients positively. That the treatment and clinical procedures should be for the best interest r the need of the patients. Therefore, as much the provider is willing to give proper services to the patient they are not given enough support.
For those dentists who accept to work under such low reimbursement they will work under a lot of frustration and at the end of the day give up. These is why there are only few dentists who accept to work under such circumstances. It then become an ethical dilemma whether to prove the services to the patients who desperately need their services and accept to earn low reimbursement. However, the solution be found. The principle of ethics called justice should be exercised. This happens by making sure that the system is fair, and equality and fairness is found. All the platform under discussion should meet and collaborative solution found. Until then there will be bad relation between Medicaid, patients and healthcare providers.
Lastly, ethical solution will be found if the funding is sustainable. This kind of condition has made many patients to run to equity backed companies. Dentists who operate under such entities are seen to be turning away patients who are under the medical cover of Medicaid and Medicare. They are given free offices and at the end of the day they don’t incur any cost. As much as they go against the ethics of the healthcare practices, they don’t face challenges of facing their own companies. They are also in position to work for many jobs without running or having private practices. Therefore, it’s not only a problem reserved to the dentists but the condition at hand allows them to do what they do.
Equity backed organization
In the video we see patients struggling and are given option to pay with credit card debit or Medicaid. Which has led to growth of corporations. This situation has led to raise of corporate dental chains that are supposed to cater for them but instead exploit them. Corporate dental chains who with the help of Medicaid only reap the profit. The movie focuses on Kool Smiles. The company can be seen to only want to deal with children because the rate of reimbursement is higher for them compared to adult patient. Most people exploited are of low incomes and most people who have serious problems that has been neglected over time because of failure to raise the money needed for treatment. Something interesting it’s paid with many corporation on signing new patients. However, this corporation begins charging and earning interest rates before even the patient begins treatment.
Other practices done at the offices are loans to own even own furniture and payday leasing or loan. They have no compassion at all. The corporate business models should be regulated by the government and accountability should be done on a daily routine. They the sector should also prioritize in human resources as most treatments not. They are overcharging the patient, they have been busy making the profit for they have taken advantage of small ones as they are given higher reimbursement. They have also been receiving bonuses when a new patient is signed. Then the use of credit card is just a form of business. Then the ethical dilemma is business.
Insurance provider
There is ethical dilemma for Medicaid insurance provider. This is because provider was initially contracted to offer services to the needy people and low-income population. This is not the case as throughout the movie, I find out that most of the time, the patients are not operated on until they have credit cards. The fee charged is so expensive such that the ordinary citizens such as truck driver are not affording anymore. They charge a lot of money which most of it goes to equity backed organization as they continue reaping profit from the hopeless patients. It has gone on to extend which the services are not found in the hospital that operates under the Medicaid. This is because they are given low disbursement and the doctors are given low remuneration in comparison to other hospitals. This has also made many hospitals not to give services to patient of Medicaid covers. This process goes against the ethics of healthcare. Medicaid also to have much more interest on the children. However, they are only taking advantage of them as a lot of cash is budgeted on them. That doesn’t allow them to give the children proper services as most are left unattended too and hurting. With the presence of ACA Medicaid has been largely given a large budget compared to other sectors of the economy however it’s a surprise that the healthcare continues being expensive in the country especially in the sector of dentistry. Another unethical factor raised in the movie s that Medicaid doesn’t support the patient appointment and follow up, and excessive paper works that leads to low enrolment of their services. It’s just ethical for Medicaid to pay dentists for their services and not underpay them. As a result, they should not be blamed as dentist have to sustain themselves too.
Dental organization: The professional organizations, in most cases don’t employee highly qualified dentist. They go as far as employing therapist, there aim is to get money and not to treat the people. The insurance industry on another hand is also busy doing business as they only pay private dentists peanuts. So, the question arises, should they be doing charity work or send patients away? The last one is corporate business models. This one has made it a business in the healthcare industry making it so expensive to achieve.
The first concern is generating profit and it only serve themselves. They use therapists because their main concern is not quality work. There is conflict of interest and the main interest is to benefit the company. The level of professionalism is not an issue as they are not looking for skills but money (Mass, 2012). The ethical factor is professional obligation and business. The organizations in most cases are interested in the rate of enrolment and thy go as far as coming up with activities that coerce or entice the patients to come to their hospitals.
References
Markowitz-Shulman, A., Forstag, E. H., Addie, S., Beachy, S. H., National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (U.S.)., & State of the Science in the Field of Regenerative Medicine: Challenges of and Opportunities for Cellular Therapies (Workshop). (2017). exploring the state of the science in the field of regenerative medicine: Challenges of and opportunities for cellular therapies: proceedings of a workshop.
Bird, D., Robinson, D., & Bird, D. (2018). Modern dental assisting.
In Walker, J. (2014). Decontamination in hospitals and healthcare.
Rosenbaum, J., Byker, C., O'Brien, M., Heath, D., Yellow River Productions., Center for Public Integrity., & WGBH (Television station: Boston, Mass.). (2012). Dollars and dentists. Boston: WGBH.
