More on that great booming Texas economy

My brother Jim sends this from a friend of his. Edited to suppress names and details and for clarity.

I can't afford the insurance that Home Depot offers (even as a manager.) I went to the dentist, they said that I have TMJ (Temporomandibular joint diseases and disorders) and need a splint to wear at night to keep me from grinding my teeth and breaking my fillings which I have already done.

The splint cost $700 and I was turned down for their payment plan. I also have a cyst in my jaw that is causing my jaw joint on the right side to disintegrate, there is no tissue left around the joint. He wanted to send me to an oral surgeon to have it cut out and removed but that cost somewhere in the thousands of dollars range, so I just paid $77 that I didn't have to find out that I have to live with the pain and cannot afford to have anything done about it.

I burst into tears in the dentist office and made a total ass of myself. I am going to take a shower now, and just focus on cleaning my house and setting up my Xmas tree, it's all I can do right now.

This was another Texas example where the fundamental problem is that the lack of meaningful affordable health care is driving people close to or over the edge. A booming economy for the 80% super-majority of Texans would be raising salaries and providing better benefits.

She should call the new state referral number, 211, to locate free or low cost dental care in her area. If that number is not yet working in her area, there is a list of numbers available here. For the Gulf Coast Region (Houston) the numbers are 211 or (713) 957-4357 or 1-800-833-5948. She might with a managerial job fall above the free plan.

Tags: Texas, Jim, economy, health care, dental care