A while back I did a blog on dental insurance. (found here http://goo.gl/Ac2OsZ) Please read it and become familiar with the language because I promise you that when you shop for your next policy knowing the terms will help you make an informed decision.
Insurance companies love to proclaim that they cover 100% for any dental services. Let me begin by saying that unless the provider has agreed to be “in-network” that this is simply not true. (even then there are co-pays…)
I understand the enormous pressure that employees and employers feel when it comes to healthcare costs. It seems that rising healthcare costs are accompanied by rising premiums. Most of the time, our patients dental plans are supplemental to their health plans. But really how much are you paying each year for basic services?
67.5% of our clients come in for two cleanings and one set of x-rays per year. This is the basic preventative standard of care that we advise all patients to follow. ( Preventative measures will save you money in the long run!) On average the cost for these preventative services is from $250-$300 per year. I am writing this today to show you that you can go to your dentist and save money at the same time.
During my research I spoke with 25 different patients and they disclosed to me the cost of their dental policies. On average the patients maximums were $1000 per year. They all stated that they believed insurance company paid “100%”. They also felt that having insurance was the only way to gain access to a dentist.
The patients that had dental policies supplemented by their health plans paid $15-$40 per month. So if they spent $15 per month to come in twice per year they would pay $180 for those visits. The total cost of the visits was only $250 and thus they “saved” $70. They still had over $750 remaining benefit for the year. Some patients even paid co-pays because they held policies that were not in our network. Keep in mind that this $15 was the lowest of what people paid.
The other group of patients held self-pay insurance policies. These patients paid on average $50-$80 per month for dental policies alone! So for $600 per year you can get your teeth cleaned for free! This is a net loss of $350 per year to get the basic preventative services completed. Again some patients even had co-pays on top of what they were paying for the policy. Now in my mind, instead of paying an insurance company that can deny a service for any reason, why not save the $50 per month. I’d like to have $600 in MY rainy day account instead of it accruing interest somewhere else.
Now I know what some of you are thinking. What about other services that are unexpected like crowns and fillings? Crowns and fillings are NOT covered at 100% via your insurance company. In my 5 years as a dental office manager, I have never once seen a insurance policy pay 100% for a crown. However, I’ve seen them pay $100 for a $1000 crown and they claim that it was 100% of their allowable amount. (tricky tricky…)
Back to my previous scenario, I now have an extra $350 after what I paid for my 2 cleanings and x-rays. Which can be used for other services such as fillings. A crown will be an additional cost, but think of it as your insurance paying $350 and the rest is your co-pay! Please, truly add up how much the plan is costing you and ask your Dentist for your ledger to see how much you really pay per year. I promise that once you see where your hard earned money is going you will be shocked!
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