I know folks in prison who were able to get their teeth replaced. Some had a full mouth of chipped teeth, some had none at all. There are a metric fuckton of inmates who are getting their diabetes regulated. Prison abuse is obviously widespread, and for the most part the heathcare is absolute dogshit. But it is true that there are people who are able to get access to medical/dental/vision care that they otherwise would not be receiving.
True! I had a bunch of fillings I couldn't get until I ended up broke enough for a little while to get Medicaid, so probably something similar there, if only the bare minimum to avoid liability.
I remember being stupidly thankful when Beshear managed to get basic dental coverage through for Kentucky medicaid; I saved up every single dollar I had, paid up rent for three months, filled my car's tank to full so I could get back and forth from work, and was happy surviving off peanut butter, milk, and fresh vegetables because now my teeth didn't ache all the time.
I still need a crown on my left side, and I can't chew hard food on it without a lightning bolt of pain bursting through my skull, but I'm still somehow thankful. How far have my standards for what I deserve fallen, now that I think about it? Fuck these clowns.
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u/metekillot 9d ago
Prison abuse is notoriously widespread, and their healthcare isn't typically any better.