Comments on: Jack Nicholson on Dental Insurance

By: jonoman12

jonoman12 — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:25:36 +0000

Thank you for your comment. I completely agree. It’s nice to hear from an actual dentist on the issue though.

By: LUNDI01

LUNDI01 — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:31:55 +0000

THANKS

By: chips2481

chips2481 — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 19:56:01 +0000

You need to talk to an insurance agent and find out what policies s/he can find you that will cover the work you need to have done at a premium you can afford. No other way to know. until you get some quotes and read the policies. (Read the policy before you sign.)

By: avs

avs — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:54:39 +0000

Call and ask the nearest dental office if payments in instalments are accepted, than go and pay by cash, or cheque; if necessary pay the whole amount by a credit card. Also, the dental schools allow their students to practise under supervision and the patients get the low cost treatments. Good luck.

By: Anya

Anya — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 01:30:34 +0000

I would encourage you to visit this great site: http://www.healthsavings.ourperfectcard.com I signed up online over 5 years ago now and they have saved me thousands of dollars over the years. From root canals, xrays, extractions, xrays…etc. All services are included in this very affordable plan. Even my braces. They even had my very affordable plan active in 2 hours and was able to use it the very same day. good luck and hope this helps.

By: kj2177

kj2177 — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:14:13 +0000

Great video! As a dentist, I think it’s great that patients look at all options for financing there dental treatment and the sooner they do that, the cheaper it will be. Dentistry is expensive! Dentists make about 15% of what they charge because the overhead and everything else is so expensive. Certain dentists, (can’t speak for all), look for ways to cut costs to the patients because there is only so much someone can pay. But these dental plans are a great solution that most dentists use.

By: KatieKat

KatieKat — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:00:55 +0000

With a dental plan the company sponsoring the plan doesn't pay out anything. With dental insurance the insurance company pays the dentist.

You have five options with dental.

1. Go without insurance. If you have good teeth and just want the basics you probably don't need any plan. A yearly cleaning, exam and even an occasional filling will cost you less without insurance.

2. Visit a local dental school. You can get many procedures done for a reduced price if you're willing to let them practice on you. You can find one here: http://www.yourhealthplanadvisor.com/Dentalschools.html

3. Insurance – Depending upon the policy: cost $30-$60 per month. You pay a $50 deductible first, they have an annual maximum that they'll pay per year of $750 – $1500, they have a waiting period up to 18 months for major work and then you're paying 50% of the charges. Example – average cost for a root canal in my area is $919. With insurance you pay $460 after paying 18 months of premium (around $800 or $900). Advantage – you can use any dentist with most plans.

4. Discount plans – Cost – $5-$12 per month. No deductible, no annual maximum and no waiting periods. Also, hardly any dentists will accept the plan and when they do you MIGHT get a 10% discount, which is about the same discount you can get by paying cash. Example – average cost for a root canal in my area is $919. With discount plans you pay around $827. Be very wary of these plans because most are scams. The people that sell these plans have little or no knowledge about health & dental insurance and do not need a license to sell them. The plans are not regulated by the state so you have no recourse when you have problems. Some states are starting to ban these plans from being sold. Here is an informative link http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2006/11/22/74554.htm concerning these plans.

5. Fee for Service discount plans – Cost $7-$15 per month. No deductible, no annual maximum and no waiting periods. Many dentist will accept the plan (check providers first before signing up with any plan). When you use the plan there is a set fee that the dentist will charge you. Example – average cost for a root canal in my area is $919. With fee for service plans you pay as little as $404.

I'm an insurance agent and my personal plan is the fee for service plan. I got mine here http://www.dpbrokers.com/default.aspx?locationid=20349 specifically the Aetna Dental Access plan but which one you get depends upon your area and comparing the fee schedule to find the best for what you need covered.

By: dbrcymry

dbrcymry — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:22:29 +0000

Write a polite letter of complaint to the Commissioner of Insurance for your state – at your state capital. Copy to your insurance company's Vice President of Health Insurance Claims – or some similar person. The insurance company is required to respond to the commissioner within 30 days. Every day after 30 that they are late, costs them $. You should get a prompt response. But, remember to be polite. You will still have the same insurance company. Most claim adjusters are over worked but real people.

By: Elie

Elie — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:03:03 +0000

Dental insurance as the name suggest covers only dental related procedures. It depends on the policy sometimes it is supplemental to health insurance in general or just as a stand alone policy.

By: jonoman12

jonoman12 — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:03:07 +0000

compared to how much you would pay even with costly dental insurance you STILL save money with dental plans. You can see plenty of examples at the link provided if you want more information. Do some research and don’t just listen to me.