Dental costs take bite out of family farmer and rancher budgets
Wednesday, April 29, 2009 - 10:42
in Health & Medicine
A new report issued by The Access Project and Brandeis University found that the costs of dental care represent more of a financial burden on families and individuals than has been previously recognized. In a survey of family farm and ranch operators in seven Great Plains states, three-quarters of households reported having dental out-of-pocket costs. The report, The Cost of Dental Care and the Impact of Dental Insurance Coverage, found that families on average spent $873 out-of-pocket annually on dental care, exceeding their $700 average out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs. The amount spent on dental care constituted more than a quarter (27%) of families' overall out-of-pocket health care costs.