Pay for braces upfront?

[Yellowjacket]

Make absolutely sure whatever route you take to use a Health Savings or Flexible Spending Account. If you are in the 25% tax bracket you're getting $4,000 braces for $3,000 out of pocket.
HSA for Orthodontics and Braces - Health Savings Account Info

 

[Closet_Gamer]

My DW did invisiline in her late 30s. Worked great. Very good experience and a great outcome.

If memory serves, I think part of the reason it's a pay up front or finance deal is that the they take the teeth mold and then the computer generates all of the "trays" of invisiline molds at the very beginning. So unlike regular braces, there isn't really a "stop cranking them midway thru the 2nd year" option. You have your set of biweekly molds in a box right at the start of the evolution. If you choose to stop putting them in half way thru, that's your business. You can't "return" the unused trays as they are 100% custom to the mouth in question.

Pay up-front.

 

[pb4uski]

I'm only in the 15% tax bracket and do not have enough medical expenses to get any benefit from itemizing medical expenses, even with these braces.

 

[utrecht]

I guess a really good question for anyone to answer would be....who here has gotten braces for themselves or a family member and was dissatisfied enough with the orthodontist that they wish they had not paid up front and could've switched to a new orthodontist mid way?

 

[EastWest Gal]

My parents paid for my braces up front 45 years ago. I paid for my son's braces up front 13 years ago, with insurance covering 50%. I changed jobs 3 months later and lost that insurance, LOL!

That seems to be the norm for orthodonture.


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[Sunset]

I'm only in the 15% tax bracket and do not have enough medical expenses to get any benefit from itemizing medical expenses, even with these braces.

Good that you are healthy.

I think previous poster was referring to the HSA as perhaps you have a high deductible health insurance plan ?

 

[pb4uski]

We have both HSA and HDHI. Our current HDHI plan is not HSA compatible but our previous HDHI as well as employer sponsored HDHI while I was working were HSA compatible.

For now, I'm not using our HSA but letting it sit and grow, but I do keep track of our accumulated claims so I can take a large chunk out at will if we want to.