Sign on the reception desk in my Mercy Ob-Gyn office: “Medical does not cover annual exams or birth control. Birth control pills are available for $9.00 at…”

My first thought:

Seriously?

My second thought:

Seriously??

Followed closely by thoughts that are mostly made up of pointless obscenities unnecessary to print.

Of all the things that ought to be covered by Medi-cal, this would be top of my list.

I am not a political person, meaning, I don’t follow politics closely enough to have an intelligent discussion about who is doing what at any given time. If I’m not informed, I don’t feel I have a right to weigh in—from that perspective. But I work with people on Medi-cal every day, and from that position, I definitely have an opinion.

As is so often the case, there seems to be a lack of Big Picture awareness. No one appears to be doing the math, which is probably the most ironic statement ever, coming from yours truly, but even someone who failed Autoshop Math (yes, really) can see the sense in short term spending for long term savings here.

First, it was ridiculous when the government abolished dental benefits for adults.

What is the biggest drug problem in Northern California?

Meth.

Have you ever seen a meth addict’s teeth?

Perhaps not, because often they don’t have many left!

Many of the people taking advantage—and by that I don’t mean exploiting—of Medi-cal benefits to get their lives and their families back on track and in the black are recovering addicts.

Not having dental benefits is counterproductive for them and taxpayers for two reasons right up front: First, their mouths become infected and require prescribed medication constantly, in the form of antibiotics or pain medication, if they’re willing to take it (which, let’s be honest, isn’t a good idea); second, if you owned a business or were hiring for a business, would you seriously consider an applicant with only half their teeth?
Probably not.

Medi-cal will pay to pull those teeth—all of them, if necessary—but not for dentures to replace them.

Killing dental benefits, not really in line with “hand up” as opposed to “hand out” philosophy everyone is so hot to promote.

You can teach a man to fish, but you can also get him some teeth so the guy who owns the fishing fleet will hire him and give him medical and dental and paid vacation after 90 days, or eventually he’s going to get frustrated and tired of eating fish and start selling it illegally off the back of a truck to make some cash!

Birth control is also a Big Picture issue.

Since the recent cuts, there are families currently living on $300 a month from Calworks (plus food stamps). Families with three children. Single mothers who are already overwhelmed, and have no desire to bring another child into their family.

But it could happen.

Yet the government has somehow decided that $9 a month is less feasible than the 18 years that would begin with diapers and end with…well, potentially more diapers!

Seriously?

Seriously.