Because Medicare does not cover some basic health care needs, Just Care offers advice on a number of ways to get free or low cost dental, vision and hearing care in the US. Nation of Change reports that millions of Americans cross our southern border to Mexico for a crown, a dental implant and other affordable health care.
About 25 percent of Americans or 74 million people lack dental coverage. And virtually no Americans have coverage for crowns, root canals and implants. These common procedures can cost several thousand dollars in the US.
At one crossing point alone in Arizona, 6,000 Americans travel to Los Algodones primarily for low-cost dental care, vision care and prescription drugs. In Mexico, people typically can get a crown for less than $700 and sometimes as little as $400. Implants are commonly under $1,700 as compared to $5,000 in the US.
These procedures cost so much less in Mexico because the cost of living is so much less there and dentists earn less money than they do in the US. They also pay less for dental school.
Americans can spend little time as well as far less money than they would in the US for their dental care in Mexico. Los Algodones has many dental labs. So, you can have a crown, bridge or dentures made in a couple of days.
One of the goals of Medicare for All is to fill the gaps in health insurance coverage, including providing coverage for vision, dental and hearing care. Medicare for All legislation in the Senate and the House would cover these services.
For other free and low-cost resources, visit Just Care’s Get Help page.
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