Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with dentalinsurance

how can i confirm my dental insurance?

austere — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 06:30:36 -0800

i have an appointment at the dentist today, and just noticed that my dental insurance card is really worn out, as pretty much all the text is faded. will this be a problem in confirming my insurance? if i just tell them my plan (delta PPO), and my social security number or something, will they be able to phone delta up and confirm my insurance?

Is this gaming the insurance system? If so, will it work?

electric_counterpoint — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:35:54 -0800

Dental-insurance-filter: I'm a grad student who has the option of paying for better insurance starting next fall. If I opt for full coverage, will my insurance refuse to pay for procedures already suggested on my chart? As you can tell, I'm new to the world of medical insurance.

I just had my first consultation with a periodontist this afternoon. She recommended one procedure for $200 that I'd definitely need to do, and two more that were optional (they'd make my teeth look better but also help to keep them healthy) at $1000 and $800. Right now, I'm on the lowest-tier insurance plan my school offers, so I'm paying for all my dental bills out of pocket. I can't schedule anything until I get back to school in September anyway, so no matter what I'm waiting until then.

If I opt for a better insurance plan starting in the fall semester, should I expect them to cover any or all of these procedures? If it matters, I believe the plan offered is from Delta, but I'm mainly concerned that these are "pre-existing conditions" — on the other hand, I'm not sure if that applies to dental insurance like [I think] it does to general health insurance.

Is there a way to find out with certainty whether they'll cover it before I sign up for the plan? Or will asking about it ensure that they won't pay?

My Teeth Need Help

partner — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 11:58:42 -0800

I've spent the total amount of my dental benefits for this year. The insurance company cannot increase these, or sell me additional coverage. Can anyone direct me to a source for additional dental insurance so my teeth don't rot out before the first of the year?

New York Dental Insurance

milarepa — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 05:39:02 -0800

My employer doesn't offer dental insurance. What sort of private dental insurance should I get for my family (wife, daughter and me)? Any suggestions?

Dental Insurance

badstone — Mon, 26 Jul 2004 10:48:19 -0800

I'm looking for advice on dental insurance. My girlfriend's employer does not provide it and she generally doesn't need it because she has magic cavity-preventing saliva. seriously, she's never had a cavity, never goes to the dentist! But now, she can feel one of her wisdom teeth starting to act up and probably needs an extraction. (others should probably be extracted while she's at it.) Should she go with bargain insurance (and can anyone recommend a good dental insurance company), or should she just get the work done without insurance and pay it back over time? If it makes a difference, we're in the Bay Area.

Self-employed, needs advice about dental insurance

gottabefunky — Mon, 26 Apr 2004 15:34:04 -0800

Anyone (in the US) have any suggestions/war stories for dental insurance? Self-employed now, gotta shell it out. And, um, what exactly constitutes a previously existing condition in your experience?