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Dental Insurance Waiting Period Details

stewiethegreat — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:14:54 -0800

Another Dental Insurance Question: My Delta Dental starts on Sept. 1st, but they won't cover fillings until Mar. 1. What happens if I have a filling done before Mar. 1? Obviously, they're not going to cover it, but would I still be able to get Delta's negotiated rate with my dentist? Would Delta pay the dentist and then invoice me to reimburse them? Would I be making life unreasonably difficult for my dentist if I did it this way?

Thanks!

Paying up front?

corey flood — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:22:57 -0800

Is this a universal billing policy for dental work that I should have known about? Last week I went to the dentist for the first time in 15 years and need to have some fairly minor work done. Fine, no problem. I made an appointment for yesterday but ended up having to cancel unexpectedly on short notice. I'm now told that because the dentist lost two hours of work that he'd set aside for me, I now need to pre-pay for my services and then have the insurance reimburse me.

And I totally get that. He's got a business to run. But nobody mentioned anything about this or about cancellation policies up front. Is this just a standard operating procedure that anyone would assume if they were in the loop? (The last time I was pursuing dental care, my mom was handling the administrative end of things.) This practice has been exceptionally kind and helpful, so I don't want to give them a hard time, but am I wrong in thinking that I should have been told about their policies before making an appointment?

Chip off the ol' molar

Riki tiki — Thu, 21 May 2009 21:00:53 -0800

How worried should I be about my chipped tooth? So I found this previous question, which is almost tailor-made to my situation as of tonight. I'll be following the "don't sweat it, maybe get some over-the-counter temporary filling" advice from that thread, so I'm less panicked about that than I was earlier tonight.

However, I am concerned about why it chipped. There was no impact, no particularly hard food that caused it. I was just flossing back there, felt a little snag and assumed it was a piece of food, and came back instead with two prongs of my top right molar. I have no pain or anything like that and my teeth look more or less fine, but is it possible that the looks are deceiving and my teeth are about to fall out en masse due to some unnoticed systemic decay?

I exaggerate a bit, but I am troubled. I'm currently without dental insurance, haven't been to a dentist in two+ years, and not in an awesome financial position to have to take on a bunch of medical bills.

Do I need to bite the bullet (not literally) and make an appointment even if it means my credit cards will have to wait a while longer to be paid off? Or is this something I can put a band-aid on (not literally) and postpone until I hopefully find a job with dental benefits in the nearish future?

never trust anyone with bad teeth

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 19:35:26 -0800

I have a carny mouth. Should I get dental insurance before I decide to take care of it? No pain, but several cavities and a few teeth (including two wisdom teeth) have been rotting and falling apart for several years. 4-6 years ago, a dental school said that it would cost 4-5 thousand dollars and take 3-4 visits to fix. That doesn't include getting them whitened or anything cosmetic. Today, one of my molars broke in half and I swallowed it with some wasabi trail mix. That tooth only had a little speck of a cavity yesterday. I'm willing to wait another 6 months or whatever it takes IF IF IF insurance will make it so much less expensive that I can risk losing even more teeth. I am starting to fear that more teeth will fall apart if I wait too long.

I do brush my teeth and don't need to be lectured on prevention; please try to be sensitive. I had some mental problems in my youth, forgot about basic hygiene, and still haven't fixed the havoc it wrecked on my teeth, so the cavities keep getting worse and worse.

I am in Florida and have basic medicaid, but it only covers emergencies and might not even be good anymore. As I've had only minimal pain for the past few years, I've never bothered seeking treatment for emergencies. Recently, I did try calling all of the oral surgeons listed in my area, as I was directed to do, but found that none of them take medicaid anymore.

Any advice is welcome. I want to remain anonymous, but will try to answer questions through mathowie or jessamyn.

Thank you.

Getting medical insurance to cover dental procedures.

disaster77 — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 18:16:03 -0800

Getting medical insurance to cover dental procedures. I have a somewhat rare medical condition, amelogenesis imperfecta, meaning I was born with no enamel on my teeth. This has required a lot of dental work over the years. I have temporary crowns that are 15ish years old and need to be replaced with permanent crowns ASAP. This is going to be very expensive and my dental insurances really do not cover much at all (maybe 1-2 teeth/year).

My dentist suggested looking into getting my medical insurance to cover them since I have a medical condition. Surely he suggested this because he has seen someone do this successfully before. I was wondering if anyone here had been able to get medical insurance to cover dental work and if so how they went about it. Any advice appreciated.

Help me choose health insurance?

attercoppe — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 12:55:14 -0800

Can you help my wife and I choose health insurance? I'm shopping for health insurance for my wife and I. I'm looking here for recommendations on good companies and good plans; tips on what to be sure to get and what to avoid; and even "Hey you sound like me, here's what I have and love."

We are 31 and 29, in good shape, and non-smokers. We live in Colorado. She currently does massage but in about three months she'll quit that, we'll move, and start trying to get pregnant. I have a desk job now but when we move I'll be looking to learn a trade - likely I'll be apprenticing as a plumber. We both snowboard now, she more than I.

So considering our current vocations and free-time activites, as well as our planned future situation...

I think we need covered: ER/broken bone, pre-natal and post-natal and possibly delivery. We lean towards home birth, alternative medicine, etc so coverage for that would be great.

I think we don't need: prescriptions, major surgery, mental health.

We might like: dental, vision, chiropractic, massage.

Bonuses would include portability (for when we move (within CO)), and a good range of choice in providers, as well as (in priority order) low premiums, low deductibles, and low co-pays. As befits insurance, this is pretty much just-in-case coverage. We don't really expect to use it much or at all. (Feel free to regale me with evidence that supports other thinking, just please no YOU GOTTA HAVE PSYCH AND MAJOR MED CUZ YOU NEVER KNOW!!1!.)

Thanks so much!

dental insurance with no waiting period?

ac — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:34:26 -0800

I need to have a root canal, build-up and crown done on a molar - almost $2,000 worth of work. I have no dental insurance. Is there any private dental insurance I can buy, either in Idaho or New Jersey, that doesn't have a waiting period for this kind of work? I realize that it probably will cover only a fraction of the work, but I really need to have the work done and am trying to minimize the financial pain (will need to take a loan, in any case). I spend time in both Idaho and New Jersey and can have it done either place. I am self-employed. Thank you all very much in advance!

Is there a dentist in the house?

allen8219 — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:53:49 -0800

Can you please recommend a dentist in Washington DC? I am almost certainly going to need a couple fillings, or maybe root canals, so I want to make sure I've got the right dentist for the job! I have really neglected my teeth for the past two years, for a variety of reasons (psychological, financial, idiotic), and it has finally caught up with me. I am getting twinges of pain from two back molars, and I know that I had some decay there like two years ago... so I am afraid of what's actually going on with them.

Anyway, the good news is I have a job, and dental insurance. The insurance is CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield, and will pay $1000 toward the bill, so if possible I would definitely like to take advantage of that.

Ugh. There is really nothing better for making you feel like a moron, than facing thousands of dollars in dental bills because you can't get it together enough to brush your teeth.

Thanks very much in advance, I really appreciate it.

Has anyone used Careington Dental plan, or something comparable?

nitsuj — Sat, 17 May 2008 08:01:46 -0800

Has anyone used Careington Dental plan, or something comparable? My girlfriend and I are looking to get some basic work done on our teeth. We don't have insurance, so are looking at using a dental plan of some sort. Does anyone have any experience with Careington?

They offer a $6.95 per month plan that gets you great rates on lots of procedures. Too good to be true?

It doesn't seem like full dental insurance would make sense for us, since we rarely have work done.

This is in the United States.

Dental insurance in Colorado

attercoppe — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 08:40:16 -0800

Cheap, low deductible dental insurance in SW Colorado? My fiancee is gettting a health insurance stipend at her new job. She'd like to get some dental work done (cleaning, about 8 fillings replaced, wisdom teeth pulled, and a recurring infection looked at - root canal? (eek!)) before we get married and go away for a while. Is there such a thing as cheap, (relatively) low-deductible short-term dental insurance, available (meaning someone nearby accepts it) in or near Teluride Colorado? Or would it be just as cheap and/or easy to simply pay for the work?

Importance, and cost, of braces for an adult?

Anonymous — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 07:07:02 -0800

How important is it for me to get braces as an adult? If it's critical, how much would they cost, and how could I afford them? As a kid I was told I needed braces, but it was completely out of the question for us financially (this was transient/subsistence living). Now I'm in my 20s, still struggling a lot financially but wondering again how critical it is to get braces. I don't care about any cosmetic aspect, only about whether braces are needed to help my teeth last a long time. (I'm hoping to live at least 60 more years.)

Here's a pic of me showing as much of my teeth as I can. If you have an opinion about the pic please express yourself in factual terms (like "You have problems X and Y," rather than "Yuck, that looks bad").

Clearly my teeth have some crowding, but they're not crowded enough to interfere with flossing, which I know is a big factor in tooth longevity. The top teeth overlap, resting slightly more forward than the bottom teeth. (Also, I don't know if this affects braces, but in the middle of the lower teeth, you might see I have one artificial tooth, which I've had since childhood; it never developed correctly so they filed down the real tooth to a narrow pillar and put the cap over it.)

If I need braces, is there such a thing anywhere as low-cost braces for low-income patients? Is there such a thing as dental insurance I could get that would cover braces? (I assume not, since "a need for braces" is practically the definition of pre-existing condition.) Currently I don't have dental or medical insurance. I exceed Medicaid qualifiying income but not by much.

Arranging massive dental surgery in a hurry, while self-employed

jake — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 13:47:10 -0800

How do I proceed with my unpleasant dental / periodontal situation? I have a 6-element frontal fixed bridge that was installed after an accident in 2002 that is in .. bad shape. (I know there are many many dental-without-insurance questions here, and I've read every single one of them already, and they helped a lot. But this one involves a huge amount of work and I'm trying to reason out the best way to proceed)

I have utterly failed to jam floss threaders under my bridge every day, or even use a Water-Pik. I haven't been to a dentist in 5 years - I've only brushed and used Listerine a few times a day. It's bleeding nightly and I finally woke up with an abscess/blister behind my front teeth. Can't eat solid food.

The same neglect/infection scenario played out after my (bike) accident, leading to 2 extractions, 2 root canals and a permanent bridge. So I know the symptoms and roughly what to expect, though I obviously didn't learn my lesson.

So, I'm:
1) Taking ibuprofen and swishing warm saltwater
2) Calling a dentist or clinic on Monday for an antibiotic script
3) Frantically investigating dental discount plans
4) Thinking about marrying my fiancee to get on her benefits
5) Looking for a nice dental surgeon here in Northern New Jersey who is flexible with payment plans

I'm terrified about going to a Dental School as most people suggest, because after my accident, I actually tried it (in Miami) - even in just the exam they were clumsy and rough in a noisy environment, and it was extremely uncomfortable. I'm a pretty tough guy, but this was pushing it. I'm hesitant to try again, but at this point I'm open to anything.

So I had ended up going to our family cosmetic/reconstructive dentist, who put me under nitrous and had a silken touch. To the extent that this sort of thing can possibly be "pleasant", it was. But it cost $9,000, and my grandfather helped, bless his soul.

This time around, I'm living with my fiancee. She is willing to get married in court now and have the ceremony later, just to have me under her benefits. I don't want to kiss ANYONE under these conditions, but it probably beats being widowed to sepsis.

From what I've seen, though, dental insurance sucks for large things like this - paying only $1500 or $2000 total, and giving a hard time over pre-existing conditions. There are tons of non-insurance discount plans out there, but it's hard to find neutral viewpoints since they tend to be hard-sells full of fine print. So if anyone has experience with them, that would help a lot.

Basically, I have a few ways to proceed here, and want to plan a smart route with as few compromises as possible. I have a decent income, but not so decent that I could just laugh off $10k on short notice.

Thanks for reading - I will be very grateful for advice.

I need dental insurance

Chuck Cheeze — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 14:34:26 -0800

Is there a Dental Insurance Plan out there that will allow me to cover my family? My employer offers no dental coverage. I own a business that my wife runs, but she is not an employee. Most self-employed plans I have found (like at Costco) require at least 2 employees. I am willing to pay, but everything I have found semms more like a plan that reduces what you pay for dental work. I want a real insurance plan. Is there anything out there?

Medical bill arrives with charges that I wasn't told about before treatment; can I argue against paying?

inatizzy — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 21:48:02 -0800

My dentist has sent me a bill for work done during two visits over the past couple of months; I thought that my insurance was covering everything, and my dentist's office never told me that I would be charged personally. I would like to dispute the charges; do I have a leg to stand on? The details: I went in for a regular appt in December and had the standard cleaning, xrays, and checkup by the dentist. The appointment had been scheduled by the office manager at the end of my last checkup 6 months prior. I assumed that it was all part of my dental coverage from my dental insurance. I didn't pay anything during the visit, which is normal, because in the past my insurance has covered the checkups.

I went back a week or so ago to get a cavity filled, and I was a little surprised at the end to learn that I had to pay a copay. But I let it roll off my back because the copay isn't very high and it wouldn't be worth arguing. I asked the office manager if I'd have to pay anything else and she said she didn't know, but if anything it'd probably be only a little more because of the way insurance companies usually treat fillings.

Today I come home to find a bill from my dentist for about $200, a combination of charges from both visits that apparently weren't covered by my insurance. (The vast majority is from the latter appointment, when I got the filling.)

I'm upset because I was never told that I would be charged for these services, and had I known, I would've thought differently about choosing which services to receive. For example, I would've turned down the Xrays at my checkup, since they took them last time and I know that you don't need to get them every visit. But the dental assistant had been ready to go with them and 1) never told me they'd cost extra, and 2) didn't even give me a choice to turn them down.

As for the latter appointment, if I'd known that my filling would cost $200 I would have looked into a less expensive solution, or at least a different dentist where I could pay less.

I'm quite upset because I feel like they took advantage of me by not being up front with these charges. I don't deny that I could've prevented this by asking them about it before I let them do anything, but I'd never been charged before and I trusted them to tell me if things would be different. I'd been given no reason to expect that I would be charged.

I'd like to write them a letter explaining my stance and asking them to strike the charges from my record, in addition to telling them that in the future I will require them to give me advance notice of all 'personal' charges that I may be subject to, so that I can make an informed decision about those services.

Do I have a leg to stand on here? Can I really hope that they will wipe the charges? Am I approaching this the right way? I'm new to all of this stuff and I'm not sure what I can really expect. Thank you in advance for your advice.

Should I get dental/vision insurance? If so, which plan?

n'muakolo — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 07:49:00 -0800

Federal employee health benefit open season started today. I'm overwhelmed with the choices! Can anyone help me sort this out? I'm in my twenties, in decent health, single. I live in zip code 33139. I consider myself to have weak teeth - I have good dental hygiene and don't eat much sweets, but I've had lots of caveties and a root canal. As for vision, I recently (almost 2 years ago) had to get glasses for the first time - 1 pair for night driving, 1 pair for computer work. And apparently the prescription is a bit wierd, so I can't just pick up glasses at CVS.

I'm trying to decide whether I should get dental/vision insurance and if so, which plans I should get. I've read the comparisons online (http://www.opm.gov/insure/dentalvision/dental.asp), and just really don't know what to do.

Any advice or even general wisdom would be appreciated.

Will the 'missing tooth clause' catch up with me?

of strange foe — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 12:35:13 -0800

The evil 'missing tooth clause": is it reinforced strictly by insurance companies? If they have approved the 'pre-estimate' of a dental implant without demanding proof of the contrary, how likely is it that they will also overlook this when the actual claim is submitted?

Can HIPAA help me appeal a Dental Claim denial?

eisbaer — Wed, 31 May 2006 14:13:19 -0800

What is the best approach for appealing a dental insurance claim that was denied for a pre-existing condition when I have had continuous coverage? Does HIPAA apply? My employer changes Dental Insurance companies almost every year. When I was first hired 4 years ago, I had an extraction under a different insurance company. After 4 years of dental work, I finally got a bridge spanning the extraction.

My current insurance company denied the claim for the bridge because they were not my insurance company when the extraction took place. Can they do this if I have had continuous dental coverage?

I have no control over the "musical dental plans" game that my employer plays. Do I have any recourse? Do the recent HIPAA changes deal with this circumstance?

Wisdom teeth coming out. Can I save money by getting dental insurance?

sdis — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 22:35:42 -0800

So I need my wisdom teeth out, asap, and I've been quoted $1500. Can I save money by getting dental insurance? By ASAP, I mean that my appointment with this surgeon I've been referred to is in 2 weeks (he's all booked up), and I can try and call every day for a cancellation, and that I can't wait much longer than 2 weeks.

Followup question, when is it worth getting dental insurance?

Followup #2: I'm not getting mauled by this dentist, am I? $300 for nitrous, $300/tooth?

Why no dental insurance copay?

renyoj — Tue, 22 Nov 2005 14:18:44 -0800

Why doesn't dental insurance work like Health insurance with a copay and a deductible? I just paid a huge amount of money at the dentist and I was wondering why it doesn't work like my health insurance. My dental insurance just gave me a discounted rate. If I paid this much on my health insurance I would be pretty close to meeting my deductable.

Why is dental insurance so lousy?

languagehat — Mon, 28 Mar 2005 10:40:22 -0800

Why is dental insurance so lousy? My wife and I have managed to get decent (though too expensive) health coverage, but the only dental coverage we can find provides only a few hundred more dollars coverage per year than you pay for it. And it's not just a self-employment thing: when I worked at a pharmaceutical-related company, the medical and vision coverage was fine but the dental was similarly lousy. Is there some structural reason for this? You'd think some company would offer better service in the hope the masses would flock to it.

Difference between a dental plan and dental insurance?

filmgeek — Sat, 12 Feb 2005 21:29:02 -0800

What's the difference between a dental plan and dental insurance? My employer doesn't provide any dental insurance, and I don't know which I want or why. Oh, if it matters, I'm in PA

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?