Dental plan

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pontifex

pontifex

Lifer
Dec 5, 2000
43,804
46
91
I have to re-enroll for dental insurance at work. there are 2 plans - basic and buy-up

buy-up is the same as basic except it pays 50% for Orthodontic services and bridges, dentures, crowns, inlays, onlays, and posts.

what are the chances of a mid-late 20s person needing the last few services?


Basic costs $3.36 / week
buy-up costs $4.80 / week

So there's not really much difference in price.
 
T

Tiamat

Lifer
Nov 25, 2003
14,068
5
71
do you want to get braces in the future? 50% off braces is a lot of savings (Braces usually cost roughly 5000$). If your teeth are straight, you are probably fine. Is it possible to opt into the Buy-up plan later down the road?

75$ per year could be spent elsewhere, maybe cover a part of home-owners/ renters insurance for example.

Its your call, depends what your current "needs" are.
 
pontifex

pontifex

Lifer
Dec 5, 2000
43,804
46
91
Originally posted by: Tiamat
do you want to get braces in the future? 50% off braces is a lot of savings (Braces usually cost roughly 5000$). If your teeth are straight, you are probably fine. Is it possible to opt into the Buy-up plan later down the road?
Click to expand...

i'll have to check. this is the 2nd year for the dental plan. they did change rates too, so that may be another reason why we need to re-enroll.
 
moshquerade

moshquerade

No Lifer
Nov 1, 2001
61,504
12
56
Originally posted by: pontifex
I have to re-enroll for dental insurance at work. there are 2 plans - basic and buy-up

buy-up is the same as basic except it pays 50% for Orthodontic services and bridges, dentures, crowns, inlays, onlays, and posts.

what are the chances of a mid-late 20s person needing the last few services?


Basic costs $3.36 / week
buy-up costs $4.80 / week

So there's not really much difference in price.
Click to expand...
If there's not really much difference I would go with the buy-up. If you have any fillings in your mouth the chances of them falling out and you needing a crown can even happen in your 20's. Crowns run $800 or so which on the basic you would have to pay for out of pocket. I guess you can do the math.
Inlays/Onlays are used in place of a large filling so the chances of those occuring are even more than a crown.

Let me ask you... do you have any fillings in your mouth right now?
 
F

Fourier Transform

Senior member
May 24, 2007
274
0
0
There is a difference of roughly $75 a year. Any one of those orthodontic services will run you a nice chunk of dough. I would go for the buy-up.
 
pontifex

pontifex

Lifer
Dec 5, 2000
43,804
46
91
Originally posted by: moshquerade
Originally posted by: pontifex
I have to re-enroll for dental insurance at work. there are 2 plans - basic and buy-up

buy-up is the same as basic except it pays 50% for Orthodontic services and bridges, dentures, crowns, inlays, onlays, and posts.

what are the chances of a mid-late 20s person needing the last few services?


Basic costs $3.36 / week
buy-up costs $4.80 / week

So there's not really much difference in price.
Click to expand...
If there's not really much difference I would go with the buy-up. If you have any fillings in your mouth the chances of them falling out and you needing a crown can even happen in your 20's. Crowns run $800 or so which on the basic you would have to pay for out of pocket. I guess you can do the math.
Inlays/Onlays are used in place of a large filling so the chances of those occuring are even more than a crown.

Let me ask you... do you have any fillings in your mouth right now?
Click to expand...

yes, i have fillings. i didn't know what those other things were so yeah, seems like a good idea to get the buy-up plan.

thanks, mosh!
 
A

Agentbolt

Diamond Member
Jul 9, 2004
3,340
1
0
For 4 bucks a month, take the buy up plan. What if you take a dive down some stairs and knock out one of your pearlies? It's worth the piece of mind for the price of a single pack of smokes per month.
 
jadinolf

jadinolf

Lifer
Oct 12, 1999
20,952
3
81
Originally posted by: pontifex
I have to re-enroll for dental insurance at work. there are 2 plans - basic and buy-up

buy-up is the same as basic except it pays 50% for Orthodontic services and bridges, dentures, crowns, inlays, onlays, and posts.

what are the chances of a mid-late 20s person needing the last few services?


Basic costs $3.36 / week
buy-up costs $4.80 / week

So there's not really much difference in price.
Click to expand...

No brainer- buy up.
 
lupi

lupi

Lifer
Apr 8, 2001
32,539
260
126
That's pretty good ortho coverage form a dental plan, if ya need it of course.
 
pontifex

pontifex

Lifer
Dec 5, 2000
43,804
46
91
Originally posted by: lupi
That's pretty good ortho coverage form a dental plan, if ya need it of course.
Click to expand...

thats one pretty decent thing about my job. the medical benefits are pretty damn good.

for health insurance, i only have to pay the $20 co-pay and $50 per year (if i need medical treatment)

eye insurance pays 100% for the exam, conact lens eval and fitting, and standard glass or plastic lenses. it pays up 50 $60 for frames or up to $85 for contacts. if the contacts are medically necessary, they pay 100%.

dental pays for what i already mentioned + 100% on oral exams(every 6 months), emergency palliative treatment, x-rays (a certain amount), cleaning, fluoride for kids, space maintainers for kids, topic sealants for unrestored molar teeth.

pays 80% for lab test, diagnostic consultation (1 per year), fillings (3 fkinds), crowns (stainless steel), repairs of dentures, bridgework, crowns, etc., endodontic services/root canal therapy, periodontal services, oral surgery (uncomplicated extractions), general anesthesia (surgery only), injectable anti-biotics (for dental condition only)

$50 deductible for everything but preventative services.
 
A

Agentbolt

Diamond Member
Jul 9, 2004
3,340
1
0
I don't know which is more awesome, that everyone coming into this thread immediately thought of that scene, or that most of this thread has been people discussing that fact.

Seriously, awesome. :thumbsup:
 
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