By Marisol Q. Santos, February 18, 2019

What about your teeth? (Part one – Part two will be published next Monday)

This series has documented medical trauma which became financial trauma because over 10 million New Yorkers are underinsured with present insurance guidelines and over 1 million have no insurance at all. Those with commercial insurance and Medicare Advantage plans are caught within defined networks, held up by prior authorizations, rising co-pays, and expensive medications any (or all) of which cause them to delay or forego critical care. An unexpected $500 out-of-pocket medical bill is too much for many people to pay or to pay in a timely way. According to new data, unpaid medical bills are the leading cause of bankruptcy filings, outpacing bankruptcies due to credit-card bills or delayed mortgage payments, Having health insurance doesn’t buffer consumers against financial hardship.

But we have not yet told stories about how seemingly minor conditions can become major health issues, sometimes leading even to death. . And some of these consequences can be avoided with New York Health which covers ALL medically necessary care, including medical, prescription, vision, dental, hearing, mental health and substance abuse treatment; and reproductive care….

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