Dental insurance worth $51/mo?

[Don Vito Corleone]

I recently started working for a small law firm in Minneapolis. The employer pays 70% of the medical insurance cost, but we're on our own for dental. My medical insurance pays for 80% of any dental care needed due to a traumatic accident (this is a big deal for me because I enjoy mountain biking and there's at least some risk of a teeth-damaging incident).

They are offering coverage for $51.15 a month that includes two free cleanings and most routine procedures (e.g., fillings), but only pays 55% of major procedures, and has an annual payment limit of $1,000.

I am 34 and have never had significant problems with my teeth, so it seems exorbitant to me to pay this much. I've never had to make these kinds of choices before, because I was in the service and/or covered under other people's plans. This plan seems like a waste of money to me.

How much do cleanings cost out-of-pocket in a midsize city, and is there any good reason for me to get this plan?

Thanks for any input!

 

[dsfunk]

90 bucks for a cleaning, couple hundred for a filling, not worth 51 a month. It says two free cleanings, but what it means is good luck trying to find a dentist that will do cleanings for the amount of money that the insurance company thinks they should pay for cleanings.

 

[iamwiz82]

I think I pay $6/mo for dental and all normal procdeures are a $5 co-pay. But, what happens if you get an abcessed tooth or something. Tough to live without it.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
I think I pay $6/mo for dental and all normal procdeures are a $5 co-pay. But, what happens if you get an abcessed tooth or something. Tough to live without it.

The problem is that they'll only pay up to $1,000 per year, per insured. Even if I had a need for major dental work, it wouldn't defray all of the cost.

I'm thinking I'll shop around a bit . . .

 

[DaveSimmons]

They might also force you to go to low-bidder dentists or a dental clinic.

I work at a small company (under 30 employees) and the only plan we could get for a sane amount had the limitations above, so we dropped it and added the money to the annual profit sharing instead.

Here in the Seattle area (high cost of living) I pay $200 for a cleaning, x-rays and check-up, but it's with a dentist I trust.

If you have the self-discipline to put the money into an ING Direct account every month instead of spending it you'll probably come out ahead.

 

[mordantmonkey]

I pay 10 bucks a mo for dental insurance. same benefits as your's but it's through work so i'm sure it's subsidized.

 

[JDub02]

my dental insurance is < $20/month and covers 2 cleanings a year, x-rays, fillings, etc. and 80% of anything really serious

 

[chrisms]

Originally posted by: DonVito

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
I think I pay $6/mo for dental and all normal procdeures are a $5 co-pay. But, what happens if you get an abcessed tooth or something. Tough to live without it.

The problem is that they'll only pay up to $1,000 per year, per insured. Even if I had a need for major dental work, it wouldn't defray all of the cost.

I'm thinking I'll shop around a bit . . .

$50x12 = $600. Now over a the next few years, do you really expect to spend more than $600 on dentistry per year?

Plus anything major that twould be over $600 you said they only pay about half of.

You shouldn't go to the dentist anyways. Dentists are liars and theifs