Family Dental Insurance

[Danger41]

So I’m getting to the point where my kids are needing all the fun and expensive dental and orthodontic procedures. I’m AD and the dental insurance for Tricare standard is not great. Anyone have any gouge for supplemental insurance for this situation?

[nunya]

I'll provide a different POV. Don't get dental insurance. Dental insurance isn't like medical insurance. The annual maximums or benefit maximums or whatever your plan calls them are very low, ~ $1,500. They also typically don't pay 100% of whatever it is. Maybe 80%. So you're paying premiums every month for at most $1,500 of payback.

Instead find a "fee for service" dentist that spends more than 20 minutes on a cleaning and pay their published cost. It'll be higher, but you'll probably get better care. Dental insurance reimbursement is pathetic so the dentists that have the option don't "take insurance." They might file for you, but they're not agreeing to the reimbursement rate set by the insurer.

It might sound radical, but I've seen both sides of it and I just paid cash for my kid's orthodontics. Insurance wouldn't have covered it all anyway. The only difference was I was able to use an FSA, which you can't get on AD unfortunately. I chose the Dr based on qualifications other than just who was in the insurance network. I even got a cash discount. 

Edited February 17, 2023 by nunya

[nsplayr]

I haven’t reached this stage with my kids yet but Tricare dental covers 50% of orthodontics 🤷‍♂️ If your average cost for braces is approx $5K, and insurance covers half…IDK that seems manageable, especially when spread over a year or more. YMMV I guess, good luck! 

[nunya]

13 minutes ago, nsplayr said:

If your average cost for braces is approx $5K, and insurance covers half…

But it doesn’t cover half of $5k. $1,750 isn’t nothing and you might decide it’s still worth it but go in with eyes wide open. 
 

[Danger41]

This is the type of scenario I’ve got on my hands.

 

[BashiChuni]

HAHAHAHAHA

[Smokin]

The other thing to consider is that you generally buy insurance for something that is unlikely but expensive.  It is unlikely that my house burns down, but it would be financially crippling if it did and I was uninsured.  I know that my family and I are going to need dental work over the course of our lives and the expense is not generally crippling financially for most middle income people.

In my mind, the only reason to have dental insurance is if it is significantly subsidized by my employer.

[uhhello]

Just run across the border for it 🙂