Please Support Mom & Pop Pharmacies!

The other day a surgical patient needed a prescription filled for an antibiotic and pain reliever we had given her. She went to a big-box chain pharmacy to get it filled. Three hours later, a young voice called us saying the prescription could not be filled without an “attending physician’s” name. Missy repeatedly told the employee that ours was a dental office and all the necessary information was printed on the prescription. I was busy and could not take the call at the time. When we tried to call back, we were placed on hold for 30 minutes, and never could talk to anyone in the pharmacy.

The patient never was able to get the drugs she badly needed that evening. The store manager called us the next day to say that a young, inexperienced pharmacist was on duty that night, and did not know what she was doing.

I wish I could say that occurrences like that were a rarity, but such a fiasco happens nearly every week. Patients don’t realize that I can rarely speak to the pharmacists in big-box stores. They are just too busy and understaffed. I usually can only leave recorded messages on their voice mail systems. Eventually staff listens to most messages and fills the prescriptions, but a good part of the time they never get around to it. Then the patients often blame me, thinking I forgot to phone in the prescription.

Often times big-box stores don’t stock a variety of drugs, or enough of them. They often run out. Then they lie to patients and said I prescribed a rarely-used medication.

Patients always want to save money, but what is your time really worth? Is three hours of waiting worth saving $4?

The difference between dealing with big-box pharmacies and Mom & Pop drug stores is like night and day. I can call and talk to a pharmacist almost immediately. They give me suggestions for drugs that might be alternatives. They cut me slack and let me phone in scheduled drugs, and wait for the written prescription by mail. They work hard for patients’ business, and truly put patients’ interests first. Often the difference in drug costs between big-box and independent pharmacies is little if anything.

There aren’t many Mom & Pop pharmacies left, but they deserve your business. Chapman’s Drugstore in Hapeville has been in business for over 80 years and is only two blocks from my office. You seldom wait more than five minutes for a prescription! Christian’s Pharmacy in Forest Park is owned by one of my patients, and can even compound custom prescriptions for you. Moye’s Pharmacy gives speedy and efficient service to my patients in the McDonough area.

Corporate ownership has been nothing but bad for the dental profession, and I am not sure that it has been any less damaging to pharmacies. Please consider using your helpful independently owned local pharmacy next time you need a prescription filled. You will also support a valuable small business in your community!

Paying for Dental Care with a Health Savings Account

Do you perhaps fit in one of the following groups?

• *Employer offers no dental benefit plan.
• *Employer offers dental benefit plan but does not subsidize premium, so it is no deal.
• *Employer dental benefit plan excludes treatment you need, like implants.
• *Dental plan that employer offers is a crumby PPO or DMO that excludes using good dentists not on the insurance list.
• *You have a very healthy mouth, and virtually never need any treatment except regular cleanings, exams, and occasional x-rays, so dental coverage does not make economic sense.
• *You are a self-employed individual without any form of dental coverage.

As expensive as dental care is, it really hurts to pay for it with after-tax income. Patients know that my #1 recommendation for funding dental care is through a FLEX benefit plan. It gives you complete freedom to pick dentists, and save all taxes on the money you put into it. You even avoid Social Security and Medicare taxes on salary you defer to the account!

Trouble is, as good as FLEX benefit plans are, not all employers offer them. And self-employed individuals cannot use them, unless they have a C-corporation.

What is a patient to do?

A good alternative is to use a Health Savings Account, which is much more efficient than buying dental insurance. Unlike when using a FLEX benefit plan, you will not avoid Social Security and Medicare taxes. But it will save some Federal and State income tax. How would you go about getting a Health Savings Account (HSA) open?

1. You must select a high-deductible, HSA-eligible medical coverage. More and more employers are offering this option. Typically the deductible must be at least $1200.
2. Fund the account to an EXCESS of what you need to pay for your medical deductible and copayments. For instance, if your typical out-of-pocket yearly medical expenses are $1500, contribute that PLUS however much per year you believe you will spend on family dental expenses. Ordinarily one would think to only contribute as much as a dental plan premium would cost monthly. But remember that any dental plan includes substantial out-of-pocket deductibles and copayments. So a starter would be to contribute 150% of the cost of premiums to a good dental plan.
3. The best place I have found to open a Health Savings Account is Delta Community Credit Union, because they have no fees and pay a good rate of interest. Perhaps some other credit unions have as good a deal.
4. You will get an HSA checkbook and/or debit card to pay your dentist with. He will love you, as you save him so many insurance hassles! And no insurance company will prevent you from having any dentistry you feel you want and need.

Individual dental benefit plans have always been a waste of money. We are finding that more employer-based dental plans are either poorly written, not a good deal, or both. Skipping the middlemen of dental plan underwriters can save you money and give you unlimited freedom of choice!

Feel free to e-mail me at KimHenryDMD@mindspring.com if you have any questions about implementing HSA dental funding.