my favorite part about health insurance is how your teeth and eyeballs are add-ons

[IcyPeas]

saw this on reddit. made me chuckle.

[ck4829]

1. But not erections... but you need a medical reason for birth control

[ProfessorGAC]

2. Eyes & Teeth Are Apparently Overrated

Who needs to see & chew, anyway?
I've always been surprised that dental care was so undercovered by Medicare.
Who needs major dental more than older people? (Aside from kids and orthodontry. )

[NewHendoLib]

3. And ears

[Grasswire2]

4. yes but I just saw something yesterday..

...about new technology for hearing aids that would make millions of people able to afford this critical health aid.

Don't remember where I saw it. Will look.

[Grasswire2]

5. here's the link

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-finalizes-historic-rule-enabling-access-over-counter-hearing-aids-millions-americans


Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a final rule to improve access to hearing aids which may in turn lower costs for millions of Americans. This action establishes a new category of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids, enabling consumers with perceived mild to moderate hearing impairment to purchase hearing aids directly from stores or online retailers without the need for a medical exam, prescription or a fitting adjustment by an audiologist.

The rule is expected to lower the cost of hearings aids, furthering the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal of expanding access to high-quality health care and lowering health care costs for the American public. It is designed to assure the safety and effectiveness of OTC hearing aids, while fostering innovation and competition in the hearing aid technology marketplace.

Today’s action follows President Biden's Executive Order on Promoting Competition in the American Economy, which called for the FDA to take steps to allow hearing aids to be sold over the counter and set a swift 120-day deadline for action, which the FDA met. In 2017, Congress passed bipartisan legislation requiring the FDA to create a category of OTC hearing aids, but it was not fully implemented until now. Consumers could see OTC hearing aids available in traditional retail and drug stores as soon as mid-October when the rule takes effect.

“Reducing health care costs in America has been a priority of mine since Day One and this rule is expected to help us achieve quality, affordable health care access for millions of Americans in need,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. “Today’s action by the FDA represents a significant milestone in making hearing aids more cost-effective and accessible.”

Close to 30 million adults in the U.S. could benefit from hearing aid use. Individuals with permanent hearing impairment can use hearing aids to help make speech and sounds louder, improving the ability to communicate effectively with others. Many hearing aids can be expensive. The final rule aims to stimulate competition and facilitate the sale of safe and effective OTC hearing aids in traditional retail stores or online nationwide, providing consumers with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss with improved access to devices that meet their needs and are less expensive than current options.

more

[Johnny2X2X]

6. And they are cheap to add on

I know people think of them as expensive, but compared to stuff covered under regular health care like heart surgery, cancer treatments , etc, tooth care risk is tiny for the insurers.

Dems have been trying really hard for a long time to get dental and vision added to Medicare and Medicaid. Help them keep Congress in November and I believe we'll see at least dental get added to them both.

And dental is fundamental to good health, bad or neglected teeth are predictors of all sorts of more costly later health problems.

The totally unnecessary suffering by people with problems with their teeth is just awful. I know people who go years with rotting teeth that need to be pulled.