Dental insurance

[jpeter1093]

We've had dental insurance from the marketplace for over a year, paying $47/monthly. But, it hardly covers anything, $13 on a $150 semi-annual checkup for example. I'm going on Medicare next month and thinking maybe we (wife and I) should just self-insure our dental work. Thoughts?

 

[Aerides]

If you search "dental insurance" you'll find it's a frequent topic, and yes, most of us forgo actual insurance. But your dentist may offer a membership/concierge/discount plan, usually for less or about what you'd pay for your routine exams/cleanings.

 

[nwsteve]

We are on Medicare as well and have been self insured as well. I find most dentist will offer a cash discount of 5-8%. Recent visit to a new perio offered senior discount AND cash discount of over 10% combined.

 

[bobandsherry]

Reasonably priced dental plans with negotiated rates. May limit your dentist options but ours was included. We've saved $$$ vs rates our Dentist would have charged.

https://www.dentalplans.com/

 

[friar1610]

This will only apply to a small number of readers...

I've had GEHA standard dental,plan for about 2 years now and have been very pleased with it. GEHA is a health insurance company for Federal employees and retirees. It (the dental plan) was opened to retired military about 2 years ago and I took it. It replaced the crapppy Dental Dental plan previously available to TRICARE beneficiaries.

 

[mckittri2000]

We got an Aetna Vital Savings discount card this year for a little over $100. It saves us around 25% on our bills at the dentist office. You have to check their website to see if your dentist accepts their plan.

 

[ospreyjp]

This will only apply to a small number of readers...

I've had GEHA standard dental,plan for about 2 years now and have been very pleased with it. GEHA is a health insurance company for Federal employees and retirees. It (the dental plan) was opened to retired military about 2 years ago and I took it. It replaced the crapppy Dental Dental plan previously available to TRICARE beneficiaries.

I have had the GEHA Dental plan too for my family for more than 5 years. It pays for cleanings twice a year and annual x-rays. With three children and a spouse that is not a bad deal. I also plan to keep it until my one child who is most likely to need orthodontics has had his braces.

 

[The HalfBreed]

I have Delta Dental with the Feds (retired) but my sister told me about Delta Dental for veterans as well. They pay a bit more, and they have 3 options, high being about $48/month, while I pay $43. If you're a vet, maybe check it out..

https://feds.deltadentalins.com/vadip/index.php

 

[Sunset]

Our dentist offers a pay in advance "plan" .
For $450 it covers 2 people for

• 2 six month cleanings and checkups.
• Plus yearly bite wing xrays.
• Plus 20% off any dental work (have never used the 20% off, and don't really know how I'd know it was 20%)

 

[Buckeye]

If you are a veteran, be sure to check out the VADIP group dental insurance. I pay $42 per month for the top tier coverage and it covers cleanings, fillings (70%), crowns and other major work at 50% with a $3,000 cap per year. You can pick between Delta Dental and another company. I use Delta.

 

[sengsational]

I've tried dental discount plans, but I'm wondering lately if they are a good idea. If your dentist takes it, that's lucky, but to swap dentists based on inclusion didn't work for me; found a guy, nearby, good reputation, then a year later (when his patient base was built up), he dropped off and prices shot up. Plus, you get a dentist that "needs the business", so might find work that doesn't need doing. The best approach might be to find a concierge dentist that is not taking any more patients, and get on the wait-list.

 

[Time2]

I've tried dental discount plans, but I'm wondering lately if they are a good idea. If your dentist takes it, that's lucky, but to swap dentists based on inclusion didn't work for me; found a guy, nearby, good reputation, then a year later (when his patient base was built up), he dropped off and prices shot up. Plus, you get a dentist that "needs the business", so might find work that doesn't need doing. The best approach might be to find a concierge dentist that is not taking any more patients, and get on the wait-list.

My dentist got sick and sold his practice, the new guy bought new equipment and raised his prices considerably. With a crown in my future, I could probably save $300 or $400 on just that one procedure, by changing dentists.

 

[bobandsherry]

My dentist got sick and sold his practice, the new guy bought new equipment and raised his prices considerably. With a crown in my future, I could probably save $300 or $400 on just that one procedure, by changing dentists.

I had crown this last year. Dentist would have been $1,250. With the Cigna Dental Plan it was $820. Save $430 which more than paid for the cost of the dental plan ($180).

 

[bobandsherry]

I've tried dental discount plans, but I'm wondering lately if they are a good idea. If your dentist takes it, that's lucky, but to swap dentists based on inclusion didn't work for me; found a guy, nearby, good reputation, then a year later (when his patient base was built up), he dropped off and prices shot up. Plus, you get a dentist that "needs the business", so might find work that doesn't need doing. The best approach might be to find a concierge dentist that is not taking any more patients, and get on the wait-list.

Hard to say. For us, we asked for recommendations when we moved and had many recommendations for the Dentist we chose.

We then looked for dental options and found Dental Plans and then bought policy for a Cigna dental plan, our Dentist was in the plan (they accept almost everything from what I can tell). Been with same dentist now for 5 years, busy practice, so not really "needs business". Cost me $180/yr for the dental plan and I figure I come out ahead just on the savings for the regular 6 month cleanings and annual xrays. Had crown this year, saved me over $400.

So just an example where it can work out quite well.

 

[travelover]

The problem with insurance is that those pesky premium setters always seem to want to collect more in premiums than they anticipate paying out.

 

[Dash man]

After retirement we were able to keep the same Delta Dental plan for both of us at $72/mo. It pays for checkups and x-rays and 50% off everything else with a $50 deductible and $1500/pp cap. Works well for us.

 

[Buckeye]

The problem with insurance is that those pesky premium setters always seems to want to collect more in premiums than they anticipate paying out.

I contacted my congress critter in May and asked that the VADIP plan be audited in 2021 (or 2022) for 2020 to see if they were making windfall profits from people missing two cleanings and check-ups in 2020 due to COVID. Medical insurance is required by law to rebate extra income (medical loss ratio) and auto insurance companies rebated funds to policyholders without being asked or required to do so (as far as I know) which implies they were seriously swimming in cash. I received 3 rebates from USAA.

I contacted Delta Dental asking if windfall profits would be reimbursed to policy holders. They said no rebates were being considered at that time. Then, in August, I received an email that, out of the goodness of their hearts in these tough times, they weren't going to be charging September's premium. They mentioned nothing about the fact that they might be swimming in cash because people had not been seeing their dentist.

In fact, I would be happy if the audit did not come until the end of 2021 so all deferred dentistry could be rolled in, but they need to be audited to determine if we are being charged fairly. I called multiple people in the VA trying to find the office that would be in charge of doing this. I even ended up talking to someone in the White House but I could never find the right person. That's when I contacted my congress critter and submitted some kind of congressional request form.

 

[Ian S]

I've tried dental discount plans, but I'm wondering lately if they are a good idea. If your dentist takes it, that's lucky, but to swap dentists based on inclusion didn't work for me; found a guy, nearby, good reputation, then a year later (when his patient base was built up), he dropped off and prices shot up. Plus, you get a dentist that "needs the business", so might find work that doesn't need doing. The best approach might be to find a concierge dentist that is not taking any more patients, and get on the wait-list.

I've had good luck with this Arizona based dental plan Preventative Dental Services, Cosmetic Dentistry Coverage, Extraction Coverage, Restorative Dental Plans I've had the same dentist in the plan for over 15 years. Unfortunately, my dentist is a lot further away now that we've moved and there is no dentist under the plan less than about an hour away. For now, I'm continuing to go to him because he has a great attitude and hasn't tried to sell me on unnecessary treatments.