Is there a point to dental insurance?
 

Is there a point to this, it doesn't seem to help you save much money...
To me it seems like you might as well pay in cash...???

I get checkups twice a year and if you ever need a root canal or something it can be very expensive

I have a blue cross plan and if I recall correctly you would still have to pay like $400-$500 or something similar with the plan... How much more would it be without the insurance?

Also, does anyone the diff between dental insurance and a dental plan from http://www.dentalplans.com/ ???

Depends on how much shit you talk in the bar. :1orglaugh

sounds like you have a "dental discount" and not actual insurance

is this through a job or on your own?

My own. I have blue cross. I would prefer to get private insurance, or like a premium plan.

yeah, those plans you buy on your own are more discount plans than anything

the best plans you can get are through full time jobs, big companies and shit....they offer kickass plans through companies like Delta Dental

hard to get without the big company behind you though

We have Ameriplan, which is cool, but not that great....like 25-50% off, for $12.00 a month....worth it, but not great

with all the goodies mine cost me about $600

I just signed up for a new insurance plan that has dental coverage just to get the published discounted rates for a checkup, cleaning, fillings and other procedures. Will save me a lot of money since I have a few old fillings that need fixing.

With our plan through blue shield it covers a great deal. Max out of pocket is 600.00 in a year.
X-rays, cleanings, all that rutine crap is no deductable and no co-pay.

Is it possible to get "private" or "indemnity" insurance if you're self employed? I don't like hmo. ppo is ok I guess, but what's better than that??

For example all the more "upscale" places said they accept "indemnity", where does one buy that if you're self employed?

With all my well publicised teeth problems I can speak from some experience... at least in this country.

Since returning from Vegas, I have had the equivalent to 6 appointments... 2 entire root canals and a crown prep.

Retail = $5600

AFTER Dental insurance = $3200

Seeing my ENTIRE top level cover health plan costs $3000 a year for me an my family, it works for me.

2c

What plan do u have? What's the BEST plan you can have, even better than PPO, if you're self employed?

depends on your plan and how healthy your teeth are dude

We get Delta Dental. Free X-rays & cleaning 50-80% coverage depending on the procedure. Nothing off my check:-)

can I come work for videosecrets?

Thanks, I think this is exactly what I'm looking for. I searched the dentists they have in my area and they seem to have the very "qualified" dentists with very nice "modern" upscale type looking offices. The ones from my Blue Cross providers didn't have as much of a selection. The delta one had dr's that I was looking for specifically.

Good deal man, glad to help:thumbsup

That IS the best we can get in this country.

ALL I am having done is classed as major dental.

If I have things done in hospital .. room, theatre and ancillaries are 100% free under that, dental in the chair at the dentist is covered by percentages and what they consider "fair charges", which are NEVER close to what the reality of what dentists charge is.

I could go to a couple of FREE options, but I wouldn't trust those dentists with ANYONE'S teeth.

You get what you pay for IMHO.

:2 cents:

What is indemnity insurance then? I called a place and they said "Do you have indemnity insurance"... Isn't there such a thing as "private insurance"?

There are some dentists that don't accept HMO, and their not in the PPO providers list either. It makes me think, what the hell do they accept then??

Years ago, insurance companies did not want any part of dentistry. So, dentistry remained a fee for service industry.

In the years that followed, Dentists were able to see what happened to the medical industry once the insurance companies had thier claws dug in, and decided that they would rather stay with their (mostly) insurance free way of doing business. That is why dental insurance is more or less a joke today. Why let insurance companies tell you what you will get paid. Insurance tends to be more for preventitive measures like cleanings and sealants. Get into anything remotely cosmetic and you'll be out of pocket.

So it's just better to pay cash then right? I'm fine with paying cash upfront for everything.. Do a lot of people pay cash? Just wondering...

I've got Detal Dental through AARP. You dont need to be a member of AARP to get it.

We, ostensibly, still have free hospital and free dental (to a point).

But the waiting lists are eons long.

It's totally different from the USA.

:2 cents:

There are other options too.

Check here dental insurance or dental plan ?

:)

it's pointless, if you take care of your teeth, you shouldn't have to do much more than get a checkup and maybe a filling or 2 once a year...
and that will be WAY cheaper than paying for insurance...

Er,

the "best available"? 100% full coverage on everything no co-pay.

Yes, they exist. No, I have no clue how to get it :)

Back in 1999/2000 I worked for a dot com (who else would do this) that had a blue cross plan that was 100% paid. You simply showed up to the dentist and that was that. Same went for doctor/hospital. I used both, both times for "emergency" like work (two root canals when I hit my two front teeth on something and cracked the root, and a real bad ingrown toenail from a broken toe) and it truly was the easiest process of all time.

Granted, insurance like that is hardly worth the cost. You'll end up paying far more than you'd ever save compared to more 'traditional' plans. I heard back then (7 years ago!) that they paid in excess of $1200/mo per employee for that.

Ah, the good old days :)

One of the main reasons I keep my day job is for the benefits such as dental and medical insurance. My insurance benefits don't cost me a cent and I get 100% coverage on minor work (cleanings, fillings, x-rays, root canals), 90% on major work (extractions, bridges, crowns, etc) and 50% on orthodontics.

As a kid/teen, I kept poor care of my teeth. Though I may not like I look like a meth addict when I smile, many of my molars are either fractured or have cavities. Last year alone, I had nearly $3000 of dental work covered by my insurance. I literally walk in to the dentist's office, get the work done, schedule my next appointment and then walk out. Nothing to pay, nothing to sign. It's great. This year, I have upwards of $10000-$12000 worth of work planned. Wisdom teeth removal, crowns on root canals, implants, etc. It'll only cost me approx. $1000.

My medical insurance covers drugs at 90% and eyewear up to $400/year. So my painkillers after my wisdom teeth removal will only cost me about $4. My contacts and new glasses are all covered. Hell, I even get massages covered. All in all, my benefits save me several thousand a year.