Bastrop woman says daughter has dental emergency but no dentist will accept her insurance
BASTROP COUNTY, Texas - *UPDATE 8/21* FOX 7 Austin has learned that a member of the Bastrop community has helped connect Charlotte Jackson to an oral surgeon who agreed to do the surgery on Sarah and it was covered by Sarah's insurance policy.
The family and FOX 7 Austin thank all of those who reached out to offer help.
This is an update to a previous story. The original version is as follows:
A mother in Bastrop said she cannot find a single dentist who will treat her daughter for a medical emergency.
Charlotte Jackson believed the insurance plan she purchased would cover dental surgery, but she said she has been turned away for the past ten days while her daughter suffers.
Charlotte's daughter Sarah Byers has already faced numerous struggles in her life. She was born with down syndrome and cerebral palsy and is legally blind.
Charlotte was stunned when she checked on Sarah about 10 days ago.
“I went to her room because she hadn't gotten up and I noticed that her sheets and pillowcases were pretty much saturated with blood,” said Charlotte.
She looked over Sarah’s whole body because her daughter is nonverbal.
“That's whenever I saw the wisdom tooth, not coming straight down, but coming sideways, and I could feel it like sharp,” Charlotte said.
Charlotte took Sarah to the hospital where doctors told her the wisdom tooth is a serious situation that could cause other issues if it isn't removed.
“They gave me two references to two oral surgeons and gave her some ibuprofen and some antibiotics,” said Charlotte.
But, when she got home, Charlotte found out getting help for Sarah is easier said than done.
“I start calling dentists, the ones that were referred, only to be denied,” Charlotte said.
Her daughter is covered by a dual complete Medicaid- Medicare insurance plan that includes dental.
She bought the coverage through the Affordable Care Act.
“I thought it was just the greatest thing to know that if you did have preexisting conditions you wouldn't be penalized and you'd be treated fairly, but apparently that wasn't all the truth,” said Charlotte.
Charlotte said she cannot afford to pay out of pocket for the several thousand-dollar surgery and, after calling hundreds of dentists, she still cannot find anyone who will help.
“I'm at my wits end. There's got to be somebody out there that will help this child,” Charlotte said.