On Feb. 18, Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano was joined by Stephen J. Acquario, executive director of the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC) and Dr. Larry Cohen, DDS, of Bethpage, to announce that Nassau County is leading the way to provide residents with a new voluntary Dental Network Card Program. Mangano said this will make going to the dentist easier and more affordable and that Nassau County is the first county in New York State to offer this program to its constituents.
“Proper dental hygiene is often out of reach for many seniors and families. Dental care is a key ingredient to overall good health, and this new program puts a trip to the dentist in reach for more Nassau County families,” said Mangano. “We are pleased to provide residents without dental insurance with more affordable access to participating dentists in our communities.”
By purchasing a Dental Network Card, cardholders will have access to information they can use to locate dentists who have agreed to charge reduced fees for dental services. The program is not an insurance program, but is intended to assist patients for whom cost is a barrier to receiving dental treatment.
The Dental Network Card program makes use of the extensive DenteMax network of dentists, with more than 100,000 dental access points throughout the country. Dentists in the network have agreed to charge the prevailing DenteMax network fee schedule when a patient presents an identification card bearing the DenteMax name or logo. Mangano gave examples of costs: $56 for an exam and cleaning and $17 for X-rays.
“Too often people avoid going to the dentist because they don’t have insurance,” said NYSAC President William J. Ryan. “Counties can now provide their residents with access to this card so they can receive the same rates that insurance companies pay.”
The Dental Network Card Program is a partnership created by the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC) and the Health Economics Group (Rochester, New York) so that counties can offer the program to residents in their communities.
For more information and to enroll in the program, please visit the Nassau County website at http://www.nassaucountyny.gov/
Dental.htm.
