Philadelphia dental school offers free care to furloughed government workers: 5 details

Being more than 30 days into the government shutdown, Philadelphia-based Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry is offering furloughed federal employees free dental care, according to The Inquirer.

Five details:

1. Employees affected by the shutdown can visit the university to receive treatment for urgent dental needs. Federal employees need to bring identification and their primary dentist's contact information. The university will send service records to the primary dentists.

2. Furloughed employees with and without dental insurance are welcome to visit the university. Around 800,000 federal employees have been affected by the shutdown. Philadelphia is home to nearly 45,000 federal employees, however, not all have been affected by the shutdown.

3. Federal employees' health benefits are intact through the shutdown. However, some employees are reluctant to receive care. It is estimated 60 percent of Americans cannot afford to cover a $500 medical emergency.

4. In Pennsylvania and New Jersey, 4,100 federal employees have filed for unemployment benefits since the shutdown began.

5. Berwyn, Pa.-based Main Line Health is deferring copayments and deductible billing for furloughed employees who visit the health system's hospitals, health centers or urgent care centers.

“We understand the financial impact that the government shutdown is having on families across the country, including those in our community who rely on Main Line Health for their care. In keeping with our mission and values, we are committed to ensuring that federal workers in our community and their families continue to receive the care they need,” Main Line Health CEO Jack Lynch said in a statement to The Inquirer.

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