Can anyone help? Dental insurance?

[Asiel]

From my own experience I can honestly say that if $35 / month is all it will cost you for dental insurance I would jump on it. My husband had much the same dental and medical insurance through his work although it cost a bit more but believe me it was worth every cent we paid. Our dental costs would have been well over $1000 a year on our own. Same for our medical, in one year it cost us over $20,000 for just myself. I'm surprised we didn't bankrupt the company but they never refused to cover any of our medical costs. Our eyeglasses were also covered under the plan.

[Edwina's Secretary]

It sounds like it might be a DHMO. This is a plan where you must go to a dentist who has agreed to be in the program. There is a fixed co-pay for each procedure.

If you are not attached to your current dentist - or your current dentist participates in your plan - this can be a very good deal.

When we relocated to California we went with a DHMO because it was so much less expensive than a traditional indemnity plan. We had no ties to a specific dentist so it was not a big deal.

You should be given a list of the co-pay amounts before you make your decision. Ask for it. The carrier (thru the employer) must give it to you.

Do be aware that dentist can try and "upsell" you. "Your plan covers crowns in this ugly dingy color and for a few hundred more dollars out of your pocket you can get this better looking crown" -- that sort of thing.

[JenBKR]

It sounds like it might be a DHMO. This is a plan where you must go to a dentist who has agreed to be in the program. There is a fixed co-pay for each procedure.

If you are not attached to your current dentist - or your current dentist participates in your plan - this can be a very good deal.

When we relocated to California we went with a DHMO because it was so much less expensive than a traditional indemnity plan. We had no ties to a specific dentist so it was not a big deal.

You should be given a list of the co-pay amounts before you make your decision. Ask for it. The carrier (thru the employer) must give it to you.

Do be aware that dentist can try and "upsell" you. "Your plan covers crowns in this ugly dingy color and for a few hundred more dollars out of your pocket you can get this better looking crown" -- that sort of thing.

Yes that sounds like what this is. My dentist is not on the plan, and I do like him, but I don't have a problem switching dentists. I do have a list of the copay amounts, it's 5 pages long so I am still going through it. The prices seem pretty good though.