Compare area dental rates
Would you like to know whether the rates your dentist is charging for services are in line with what other dentists in the area are charging?
Premera customers now have an online tool for doing just that. Members can access a dental cost estimator, go2dental, at www.Premera.com to compare the prices they pay for dental services with a typical range of prices in the same ZIP code or other ZIP codes.
Within minutes, users can find out that the median price for a cleaning in Spokane is $81. In Coeur d’Alene it’s $63. In Seattle it’s $96. The median price for a crown is $860 in Spokane, $753 in Coeur d’Alene and $1,020 in Seattle.
While you’re at Premera’s Web site you might want to find out whether a dentist has been certified through Dentistat, the same company that offers go2dental.
Dentistat, a California-based dental network management company, reviews more than 45 million claims records each year and has certified more than 80,000 dentists nationwide, who voluntarily submit to analysis that assures their billing and practice patterns are in line with industry norms.
Premera members can find out whether a dentist has been certified by typing in the last name of the dentist and the state or ZIP code in which he practices.
“The well-known variation in medical practices is also true of dental practices,” said Dr. John Castiglia, senior vice president and chief medical officer for Premera Blue Cross. “These new online tools will help our members make more informed choices about their dental care.”
Child safety stressed
Car crashes are the leading cause of death for children under age 14, and the Spokane Regional Health District and Spokane Police Department want everyone to learn how to transport children safely through the correct use of safe car seats.
“Child passenger safety is not just about babies and toddlers,” said police Officer Jennifer DeRuwe. “It’s a commitment that lasts as long as childhood. Too many kids move from a booster seat to a safety belt before they’re big enough.”
A class, “Safely Transporting Your Child Through the Stages,” is being offered today from 6 to 8 p.m. for the first 15 individuals or couples who call (509) 232-8138 to register. The $60 cost includes a car seat and instruction on how to use it safely.
A pinch of advice
Think “chew” is a safe alternative to smoking? Think again.
While smoking rates decline in Washington, the same cannot be said for “spit tobacco,” according to the Spokane Regional Health District. About 5 percent of 10th-graders and 3 percent of adults used smokeless tobacco, commonly known as chew, dip or snuff, from 2000 to 2004.
That rate soared to about 16 percent, however, for men between the ages of 18 and 29 living outside of urban areas.
“Spit tobacco significantly increases the risk of mouth cancer, which is extremely painful and the treatment is often very disfiguring,” said Dr. Kim Thorburn, health officer for the health district.
In 2004, tobacco companies distributed more than 18,000 samples of spit tobacco in Washington state, often at rodeos or taverns.
Washington residents who want to quit spit tobacco or smoking can call the toll-free Washington State Tobacco Quit Line (www.quitline.com) at (877) 270-STOP (in Spanish, 877-2NO-FUME).
Part D help available
There’s still time to sign up for drug benefits.
Although more than 227,000 seniors in Washington state have signed up for the new Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit, thousands have not, according to the Medicare Rx Access Network of Washington.
The network and the Inland Northwest Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association invite seniors who have not enrolled in one of more than two dozen available plans to attend an event Friday, beginning at 9 a.m. at Sacred Heart Medical Center’s Mother Joseph Room, 101 W. Eighth Ave. in Spokane.
Volunteers will be available to provide individual help to seniors, who have until May 15 to enroll in Medicare Part D without penalty. Seniors should bring a list of their medicines, dosages and name of their preferred pharmacist.
KMC seeks teen volunteers
Teenagers, it’s not too soon to apply to become a summer volunteer at Kootenai Medical Center.
Teen volunteers make new friends and learn about careers in health care while they are working in almost every department of the hospital. Volunteers perform such duties as transporting patients and delivering food or flowers.
To download an application form, log on to www.kmc.org and click on “additional services.” For information, call (208) 666-2511.
WSU services accredited
Washington State University’s Health and Wellness Services has been reaccredited for three years by the Accreditation Association of Ambulatory Health Care.
Ambulatory health care organizations accredited by AAAHC undergo an extensive on-site review by peers. WSU’s Health and Wellness Service is the only AAAHC-accredited clinic in the Pullman area, the university said in a news release.