Dental Insurance Or Discount Plans

[crabtrap]

Delta Dental offers IFP dental plans in many states. A husband, wife, and one or more children in Southern California can enroll in their DHMO plan for less than $16 per month ($191.16 annual payment). Honest-to-goodness dental insurance with $0 deductible and many basic services at no or low cost. Reasonable costs for the expensive stuff like root canal therapy, crowns, etc. Even includes orthodontic coverage for children and adults.

Why waste money on a "discount plan" and get nothing more than the same cash discount another person can get without the $240 in "premiums"?

Insurance is not free, but discount plans are not insurance and they are not cheap. And, as a professional insurance producer, nothing that I do for my clients is based on what I get paid. I could care less what my commissions are, because what I do for others is not about me at all.

A dhmo is a garbage plan. Anyone enrolling in one is just asking for trouble. The providers are essentially the bottom of the barrel who use the hmo as a last resort since they have no patients. I would not send my dog to a dhmo dentist.

Many discount plans offered by providers include preventative visits in their enrollment fees.

 

[maxherr]

A dhmo is a garbage plan. Anyone enrolling in one is just asking for trouble.

This is a patently false assertion. Back it up with documented evidence.

I have personally been covered under both Delta DHMO and DPPO plans for more than 10 years, and I can tell you that I've had the same GREAT dentist -- one with about 30 years of experience and his daughter who has more than 10 -- under both plans for the past three or four years, and the only difference between the two plans is that there is an unlimited annual benefit under the DHMO compared to a $1000 limit under the DPPO. And the DHMO is also less costly. This dentist's office was recommended to us by a friend who has been a patient in their practice for over fifteen years.

Of course, not all dentists who are part of a PPO network are also part of the HMO network. But what I've found to be very true is that PPO (and nonparticipating) dentists know that there is only a limited benefit, and they raise their prices to consume all of that benefit as quickly as possible, leaving the patient no choice but to continue treatment at high cost without insurance, or defer treatment to the next year when they have a new $1000 to play with. These dentists are highly unlikely to negotiate discounts because it undermines their normal high prices that are billed to insurance companies.

Who would pay a higher price just because it's covered by insurance, knowing that they can pay a reduced price when the insurance runs out? That conduct on the part of dentists and other healthcare professionals would be very close to crossing the line that separates insurance claims from insurance fraud.

I've had my share of shoddy dentists in my lifetime. And I've had a small number of ones who were really good at what they do. These dentists were in PPO networks, HMO networks, and in no networks at all. What type of plan a dentist participates in is no guarantee of their value to patients. Some of the worst dentists I've had were emergency referrals to dentists within the PPO network who, I might add, were extremely good at adding services which were not covered by the insurance and had to be paid in full at the moment. The dentist we have now will accommodate just about any emergency request, even after hours on occasion.

 

[DS4]

A dhmo is a garbage plan.

X2

I would take my dog to a DHMO dentist.

 

[crabtrap]

This is a patently false assertion. Back it up with documented evidence.

I have personally been covered under both Delta DHMO and DPPO plans for more than 10 years, and I can tell you that I've had the same GREAT dentist -- one with about 30 years of experience and his daughter who has more than 10 -- under both plans for the past three or four years, and the only difference between the two plans is that there is an unlimited annual benefit under the DHMO compared to a $1000 limit under the DPPO. And the DHMO is also less costly. This dentist's office was recommended to us by a friend who has been a patient in their practice for over fifteen years.

Of course, not all dentists who are part of a PPO network are also part of the HMO network. But what I've found to be very true is that PPO (and nonparticipating) dentists know that there is only a limited benefit, and they raise their prices to consume all of that benefit as quickly as possible, leaving the patient no choice but to continue treatment at high cost without insurance, or defer treatment to the next year when they have a new $1000 to play with. These dentists are highly unlikely to negotiate discounts because it undermines their normal high prices that are billed to insurance companies.

Who would pay a higher price just because it's covered by insurance, knowing that they can pay a reduced price when the insurance runs out? That conduct on the part of dentists and other healthcare professionals would be very close to crossing the line that separates insurance claims from insurance fraud.

I've had my share of shoddy dentists in my lifetime. And I've had a small number of ones who were really good at what they do. These dentists were in PPO networks, HMO networks, and in no networks at all. What type of plan a dentist participates in is no guarantee of their value to patients. Some of the worst dentists I've had were emergency referrals to dentists within the PPO network who, I might add, were extremely good at adding services which were not covered by the insurance and had to be paid in full at the moment. The dentist we have now will accommodate just about any emergency request, even after hours on occasion.

You are clueless. I worked in dental insurance for over 20 years but I will go ahead and let you be the authority here Max.

Good dentists do not accept insurance, its suplly and demand.


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DHMOS have bad dentists and bad patients.

The dentists are the worst dentists you can find in your area.
The patients are the worst patients you can find in your area. They deserve each other.

 

[Mj19840]

I would look for a locate dentist in your area and see if they have in home insurance

 

[goillini52]

I would look for a locate dentist in your area and see if they have in home insurance

Never heard of a dentist making house calls.