There are also conditions that have oral health implications and therefore need specialized strategies. Diabetes, AIDS, oral cancers, and organ transplants are in this category. The concern of people with disabilities in the arena of oral health is finding the professionals to treat them. Dentists capable of offering routine care often choose to avoid the hassle of spending extra time or learning how to manipulate adaptive hygiene devices and instruct patients in their use. Still others refuse to accept patients with Medicaid insurance.
Communication is a complicating factor in some cases, too.
The Surgeon General s report outlined the remedies for this concern. The cost of prescription drugs has risen three times that of health inflation. For people with disabilities, a population more dependent on prescription drugs than the general population, this has been a major burden. Many people with disabilities qualifying for the Medicare program joined Medicare HMOs to lessen their drug expenditures. Congress is considering various partial solutions for the Medicare population.