by I’ve done the math! Two years ago I researched all the dental plans available to me and went with Delta Dental. I did the math on all the plans and I figured with Delta, if I got a lot of work done I could potentially save $500 a year. Of course, like every insurance company, they always find some reason to pay a little less or not at all so usually at best you break even.
Delta Dental just announced that they are raising their rates to $94.94 a month. That amounts to $1,139 a year and the most they will pay out in a year is $1,200. That reduces the potential savings to $71, and given their history, I know they will never actually pay out the $1,200. Even with the free yearly cleanings they throw in the arrangement will always benefit them.
With health insurance at least, you pay and pay even if you never get sick because you’ll need them for that day when you do. With dental insurance, when that day comes, there’s a limit and a million codes for why they’re not going to pay up to the limit anyway.
Needless to say I’m going to cancel the policy and just start putting that money aside myself.
Coffee table kitty.
I have coverage at work but only to a maximum of about $1000 or $1200 a year. I have seen several different dentists in the past few years and each of them, when they find out how much dental coverage I have, do everything they can to use it all up. I once saw an investigative news report about seminars that dentists go to in order to learn how to talk their patients into getting expensive work done that sometimes just doesn’t need doing. That’s why I often find myself feeling kind of ornery & defensive when I go for a cleaning & checkup.
Oh, and by the way, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
Thank you!!
Medical, dental stuff — you can’t win.