10,780 children had not seen a dentist in four or more consecutive years; few of the dentists claimed by UnitedHealth Group to be in their network actually provided dentistry to children enrolled by United; and that a single dental office provided more than a third of all dental care in Prince George’s County, where Deamonte Drive lived and died.
The investigation was prompted by the death of 12-year old Deamonte Driver, who died of a brain infection caused by tooth decay; targically, an outcome easily prevented by routine dentist visits. After a review of thousands of records produced by United HealthCare, the Domestic Policy Subcommittee issued findings in an October 2, 2007 letter to the Company. Which, United Healthcare originally disputed.
However, in a letter to Domestic Policy Subcommittee Chairman, Dennis Kucinich, United conceded that the findings were accurate. Said Kucinich:
“United’s admission proves what the Subcommittee has been saying all along. Medicaid-eligible children in Maryland do not receive the dental care to which the law entitles them and for which taxpayers pay,” Kucinich said. “This Subcommittee will continue its investigation into dentistry for Medicaid-eligible children.”
Kucinich has been advocating for a truly universal, non-profit health care system that would provide not only all medically necessary treatments, but full dental, vision and mental health coverages. Under the Kucinich health care plan embodied in H.R. 676 all children and ALL AMERICANS would have comprehensive coverage, regardless of income, to ensure preventable tragedies like Donald Driver do not occur.
Please support H.R. 676 and Dennis Kucinich:
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