How come there is never any good dental insurance offered by an employer? Why can't they pay 90%....?

Question

health insurance does? You have to pay so much out of pocket for dental work, it's terrible. What's the reason?

Answer 1

I think that dental treatment is generally non-catastrophic where health can be. There are dental conditions that can create life threatening conditions but most dental work is either preventive or restorative. It is not just the percentage paid is lower, the yearly limit they will pay is usually only between $1,000.00 to $2,000.00. In most cases, companies that purchase dental insurance for their employees, would be better off if they self insured and set up their own set of benefits where they reimburse their employees directly for pre-determined dental charges. I you are paying for your own dental insurance, it is usually better in the long run for you to cancel the insurance and just put that amount of money in the bank every month so that you can pay the treatment yourself. Most of us don't need major work every year and even when we do, the insurance is not that helpful and when it does pay for most of the work it is because the particular plan is very expensive.

Answer 2

There has never been any such law. Employers don't have to offer health coverage at all. It's a benefit. A perk. Be grateful you get any help from your employer at all. In these difficult times, many employers are completely cutting health care. Many employers, in fact, I'd argue most, if they do offer employee health coverage, they do not cover any additional for family members. To get a family plan, the employee usually has to pay all additional premiums. Good luck! :0)

Answer 3

Usually the amount that you pay out annually is about the same as you would pay for your twice a year cleaning, x rays and exam, if you add it up. So it's always a good idea to have dental insurance to take care of the needed preventative treatment. But most people, who have it, don't use it until there is an emergency; when they come in with a tooth ache that requires a root canal, then a crown and build up later, or a non-restorable tooth that needs an extraction and then need a fixed prosthetic appliance, or oral surgery or dentures. Then they are grateful that they have insurance but wonder why it doesn't pay for more of their treatment. Most patients use up all of their insurance coverage in a couple of visits that require emergency treatment. Insurance companies are out to make money not loose it, but most do offer to cover a percentage of your work other than preventative. The catch is your annual limit of 1000.00 to 1500.00 with most companies isn’t enough to cover much of anything over your cleanings twice a year. The fact is you can use all of that with one bad tooth ache just to get you out of pain and to restore the tooth. These companies know what it cost for the average semi annual check up, and that's all they will pay out per year, (which is about what you pay each year in premiums for the privilege of having insurance) or you can use this money elsewhere, for crowns or root canals which they will pay part of if you prefer. It's sort of like the extended warranty you purchase for your car.....they know approximately when things are going to break, and your not covered by then. The insurance co. doesn’t care if you neglect your teeth or if you use your insurance with twice a year cleanings. They aren’t going to loose any money, they hope you don’t use what you pay out, and most people don’t use it!

I won't say it's a rip off when it really pays for your semi annual preventative appointments monthly, only by way of the insurance company. If only these same patients had used their insurance (that they pay for) to have those preventative appointments for cleanings, x rays and exams, they wouldn't be in need of the extractions, root canals, crowns and dentures. If everyone would brush, floss and take responsible care of their teeth with twice a year check ups there wouldn't be as many extreme restorative measures needed. But that's not going to happen and people will continue to have dental problems. The person who really has the problem is the dentist who accepts what the insurance pays for your treatment, which means it's usually a whole lot less than what he normally charges for his services. Most patients don’t realize the expense that dentist incurs just to have an office, employee’s, equipment, their insurance and for their employee’s and the materials they use to treat you in your dental care. But most of us will accept it because the patients have this policy and we don’t want to loose them to another office who will accept it. You'll see my point if you think about this just a little.

Good luck and I hope I've given you some things to consider and maybe you’ll understand what the insurance co. is really paying for and who's getting the short stick in the end because the patient or insured could have prevented their problem by having semi annual check ups when needed.

Answer 4

For some reason, they don't consider dental as important as medical, which it is,,,,and dental is more elective than medical, you don't go to the doctor to prevent being sick, normally anyway.