Health

Did you know there is a direct connection between the health of your teeth and gums and the rest of your body?

It’s true. The need for good dental health goes way beyond the health of your smile. Your oral health directly impacts your overall health. That’s why Union Plus partners with Careington to offer you an affordable dental savings program designed to help you save money on routine, preventive and diagnostic dental care. This program is designed to help you save on the dental care that’s critical to your overall health.

Detection

Visiting your dentist at least once a year, or the recommended twice a year, should be as important as your annual physical. When you see a dentist for routine and preventive care such as an oral exam, x-rays, and cleanings, it’s also an opportunity for your dentist to look for any indications of other conditions that can be diagnosed through signs and symptoms that may be visible in your mouth.

In fact, a routine trip to your dentist could help detect signs of these conditions:

• Leukemia
• Diabetes
• Kidney disease
• Heart disease
• Pancreatic cancer
• Oral cancer

Prevention

Beyond the health benefits of routine trips to the dentist to help watch for early indications of these conditions and more, proper oral hygiene can actually help prevent other health concerns. Consistent brushing and flossing using the proper dentist-taught techniques, following a healthy teeth-friendly diet, and visiting your dentist regularly to maintain your dental health, are all an important part of helping to prevent infection in major organs like your heart, and in keeping your digestive system healthy.

Savings

We understand that it’s costly to maintain your dental health. But we also understand it can be more costly if you don’t. Union Plus will help you save money on quality dental care that can help you improve your oral health and aid in detection and prevention of other serious health issues.

Holidays means friends, family and lots of smiling!

It’s important not to neglect your smile during the holiday season. Even though our brains may be in shopping mode for most of December, don’t forget about a great gift you can treat yourself to: a checkup and whitening for your smile.

The first thing people usually notice about you is your smile. And during the holidays, this is probably the only time of year you see some of these friends and family members. There are pictures being taken left and right, and who doesn’t want to have a bright, healthy smile in these captured moments?

So if you do decide to fit in that last-minute checkup or decide to get a teeth whitening procedure to freshen up your smile, don’t forget to enjoy discounts from your Union Plus Health Savings Plan.

Have a wonderful and safe holiday season!

For many, doling out the cash to get a toothache treated can hurt almost as much as the tooth itself. That’s because about 40 percent of Americans lack dental insurance, and most who have a dental plan lose that coverage once they retire.

But ignoring dental problems or skipping preventive care can harm you—for example, chronic gum infection is associated with an increased risk for heart attack, some studies suggest.

Our experts recommend these 10 steps to maintain oral health without wrecking your budget.

Savvy Strategies

• Get dental insurance through work if you can. Most employers who offer dental insurance pay half or more of the premium cost, and most plans fully cover exams, X-rays, and cleanings; 80 percent of basic procedures such as fillings; and 50 percent of bigger-ticket work such as crowns, says Evelyn Ireland, executive director of the National Association of Dental Plans. Expect an annual deductible of $50 to $100; the yearly maximum many insurers pay out is usually $1,000 to $1,500.

• Consider dental savings plans. No dental insurance through work? Participants in these buying-club-like programs pay an annual fee of $80 to $200 to access a large network of dentists (60 percent of those nationwide) who offer discounts of up 50 percent for members.

• See whether a dental HMO may work. Dental health maintenance organizations, most often available in larger urban areas, charge $200 to $300 per person per year. Participants get twice-yearly cleanings and exams with no additional fee, and pay a few dollars to a few hundred for fillings, root canals, and crowns. About 20 percent of dentists nationwide participate. Search for dental plans here by checking the “DHMO” box and then your state.

• Consider ACA coverage. If you get health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, you can also purchase optional dental insurance. Currently, dental is available only when you enroll in a full health plan. But dental coverage will be available separately next year for Medicare recipients on the exchange in Kentucky, and more states are expected to follow suit.

• Check veteran’s benefits. If you have a service-connected disability, you’re eligible for free comprehensive dental care from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Other veterans can buy comprehensive dental insurance at a reduced rate.

• Bargain hunt. Look up local rates for dental procedures at Fair Health Consumer and Healthcare Bluebook, then ask your dentist for a discount. In our 2012 survey, Consumer Reports readers who asked for a break were often successful.

• Create an emergency dental fund, and put aside money every month. “Unpredictable things happen, and you have to have a way to pay for it,” says Julia Hallisy, D.D.S., president of the nonprofit Empowered Patient Coalition in San Francisco. “You could bite on a peach pit and crack a tooth.”

• Check community health centers. Some offer low-cost dental care but may have limited services and, possibly, waiting lists. Call the local health department or state dental association, or go to Tooth Wisdom to find those centers.

• Try university dental schools. Many charge 30 to 40 percent less than private dentists, and you’ll be treated by supervised students. “The quality of care is excellent,” says Judith Jones, D.D.S., professor of dentistry at Boston University and an American Dental Association spokeswoman. Find dental schools here.

• Help your teeth last longer. Brush for a full 2 minutes—most of us stop after 30 seconds—twice each day with a soft-bristle manual or electric toothbrush, and floss before bed. Drink tooth-friendly beverages, including plain water. (Soda and drinks with lemon and lime can erode enamel and weaken teeth.) Increase your production of saliva, which helps protect teeth, with sugar-free hard candy and gum. Avoid sugary food and drinks. See a dentist once each year—more often if you have periodontal disease or are still getting cavities.

Dental Insurance You Can’t Rely On

• Medicare. It covers little dental care (except for hospital services such as post-accident jaw reconstruction). Medigap (the supplemental private insurance) generally offers no dental insurance. Medicaid coverage is quite limited.
• Dental insurance you buy on your own. Just 4 percent of Americans do that. “Insurance makes you feel protected, but there are often one-year waiting periods before you can qualify for work like root canals and crowns,” says Julia Hallisy, D.D.S. “Some plans exclude these altogether.” One typical plan, AARP’s PPO “Plan B” dental insurance, begins at $474 per year per person. It has a $100 deductible and an annual cap of $1,000, and you pay part of the cost for all services and procedures. So you’d spend at least $574 before reaping a benefit.

Copyright© 2006-2016 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc. No reproduction, in whole or part, without written permission.

More ways save on dental care

• Union members and their families can also save with the Union Plus Dental Discount Programs.  Sign up fees start at just $5/95//month of $59.95/year.

We spend so much time making sure our mouths are taken care of that we sometimes forget to care for our toothbrushes! Every toothbrush deserves a little TLC for all the work it does keeping our mouths clean and healthy. We all know that brushing your teeth keeps your mouth clean, but it's just as important to keep our toothbrushes clean, too.

Keeping your toothbrush clean is essential to keeping your mouth clean

Of course we love our toothbrushes, but we can't get too attached to them because it's important to switch them out every three months and after every sickness. After three months, toothbrushes become worn out and are no longer effective in cleaning teeth completely. Each sickness brings a whole new colony of bacteria and germs to hang out on your toothbrush. You definitely don't want to clean your teeth with that!

Storing your toothbrush properly is vital to keeping it away from bacteria and germs

Bacteria grows in dark, wet places, so try to find a new place for your toothbrush besides your bathroom cabinet or drawer, and be sure not to keep it near any other toothbrush or anywhere close to the toilet. Keeping your toothbrush dry and clean between uses is very important. Make sure to rinse your toothbrush with tap water after each use and allow it to dry completely with the bristles facing up.  It's best to place it in a cup or rack to allow it to dry out properly. It needs room to breathe!

Choosing the right toothbrush for your mouth can be difficult if you don't know what you're looking for

It is best to use a soft bristled toothbrush, because medium and hard bristled toothbrushes can actually damage your gums and the enamel on your teeth.  Whether you prefer handheld, sonic or electric toothbrushes, the most important thing to keep in mind is that it's your technique - not the toothbrush - that matters most in keeping your teeth the cleanest.

Having good brushing technique is important

The best technique for brushing your teeth is to place the toothbrush at a 45-degree angle pointing toward your gums and brush in a circular motion. This will massage your gums, which stimulates blood flow and will clean your teeth by rubbing away any bacteria that has accumulated since your last cleaning.

Still not sure how to choose the best toothbrush for you? Look for brushes that have earned the American Dental Association's (ADA) seal of approval to help narrow down your choices.

Angela Neal, a member of the Kansas Organization of State Employees (KOSE), AFT/AFSCME Local 300, had little trouble negotiating a fair price for a car and other kinds of consumer bargaining didn't bother her either. But when the social worker tried to lower her medical bill debt the going got rough.

Fortunately, as a union member, Neal had Union Plus in her corner, offering her just what she needed: an advocate to help her negotiate lower medical bills.

"Trying to lower the debt from medical expenses is so hard," explains Neal. "Some of the bill people can be harsh. They want to get every penny from you as soon as possible, but you can't squeeze blood from a turnip.Union Plus' medical bill negotiator helped knock off as much as 50 percent off of some of my medical bills."

Reducing medical debt can be daunting. Neal remembers how every time she saw the medical bills piled on her kitchen table, she was filled with dread, knowing that she alone was responsible for the balances and that those balances were not going to be reduced without a lot of effort.

Armed with her cell phone, a positive attitude and the stack of bills, Neal diligently contacted the billing offices of her physician and labs asking for their help in lowering her debt and coming up with a manageable payment schedule. She hung up each time feeling discouraged and overwhelmed.

Dealing with the stress of mounting bills, coping with an ongoing health condition, and working full-time to provide critical social services to families in need was a lot for Neal to handle. She isn't alone. A report by the Commonwealth Fund found that 41 percent of Americans of working age have medical bill problems or are paying off medical debt.

Neal found hope when a co-worker encouraged her to check out the Union Plus Medical Bill Negotiating Service. When she clicked on UnionPlus.org/BillNegotiator, Neal was thrilled to see that it was easy to sign up for the free service. To qualify for help, she only needed to be an active or retired union member with at least one outstanding unreimbursed medical expense of at least $400.

"It was nice knowing that someone was working for me just because I am a union member. I didn't realize this union benefit existed, but I'm so glad it does. It put me in a much better position to pay off my medical bills," says Neal, who has been a member of KOSE Local 300 since 2010.

"It's a big help when someone is there to help you negotiate medical debt. It was a real blessing," says Neal.

Ken Jones, a pump and still operator at a Coke (fuel) plant and United Steelworkers (USW) Local 09-12136 member from Birmingham, AL, is one of two lucky $5,000 winners of the Union Plus “What Kind of Union Car Are You?” Labor Day Sweepstakes.

Jones, who claims that he never wins anything, could not have been more surprised to learn he won the prize money for simply completing a short quiz which revealed what his ideal union-made car personality type is. Nearly 25,000 sweepstakes entries were received between August 1 and September 5, and fortunately for Jones, the odds were in his favor.

“I follow Union Plus on Facebook since I’m a rep with my union and want to stay up-to-date with all the benefits, and that’s where I saw some information about the contest. I thought I wasn’t going to win, but just for kicks I entered,” he recalled.

Jones, who currently drives a union-made vehicle made in Topeka, Kansas, says he feels strongly about buying American-made and union-made. When he learned that his ideal union-made car personality is a Cadillac CTS, he had a comical reaction.

“Well, I thought it was kind of neat. Those cars are really sharp automobiles, and if I only had enough money to buy a Cadillac CTS, I certainly would get one!” he laughed. “It definitely matches my car type — the size of it, and the little bit of a sporty look to it.”

Due to his role with his local, Jones said he is very familiar with the benefit programs Union Plus offers. He plans to use the Mortgage and Auto Buying Programs in the future, and his oldest daughter was awarded a Union Plus $1,000 scholarship a couple of years ago. He also tells his fellow union members about opportunities to save with Union Plus.

“I tell the guys I work with that being a union member has many benefits with Union Plus. You have the wireless discounts, the Mortgage Program, discounts on tires, the insurance programs. There’s quite a long list. Not only does it pay to belong to be part of the union, but with this sweepstakes, it really pays to belong!” Jones said.

When asked about what he plans to do with the $5,000, Jones told Union Plus that he plans to spend some of it on his wife and daughters, and put the remainder into savings.

The prize money for this contest was provided by TrueCar, the provider of the Union Plus Auto Buying Service. Union members looking for a great deal on a vehicle save an average of $3,279 off MSRP and receive special rebates for buying union-made. Click here to learn more!