topic Re: Question for Retirees on dental coverage in Among Friends

Question for Retirees on dental coverage

SeaMaiden — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 19:16:51 GMT

After your cobra ended on your dental plan.....did you buy dental coverage on your own?

Our dental coverage ends at the end of this month on cobra(January 2019). We resigned up to have continued coverage starting February 1. We have been with Delta Dental for many many years.

I guess I do not know if paying for coverage is better as far as saving money than going without....I do have difficult teeth..needing a lot of attention, cleaning every Three months....DH is fortunate to have less issues with his teeth. We will be paying $115 a month for both of us covered, approximately same policy we had before.

I guess after a year of coverage we will know if it is worth paying monthly for.

Re: Question for Retirees on dental coverage

homedecor1 — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 19:36:33 GMT

@SeaMaiden

Spouse opted to continue his dental insurance after retirement (not Cobra) as it was part of the benefit package.

It cost us $47/month and the yearly limit is $1500 they pay.

It's OK, but, not great...

I know it covers 2 cleanings/year with no charge to us. We were considering cancelling it this year, but, I'm thinking if we do then we'll start having dental issues.

Both of us have fairly good teeth, but, I have many caps which I know are starting to "leak" and will have to be replaced. He has a few. The way I look at the expense its better to pay for 1/2 these services than 100%!

We have 100% medical, eye care, Rx & our employers provide us the coverage at no cost. Therefore, I feel the dental is not a financial issue for us.

I think it would depend on how much and what it covers when you are making the decision.

Re: Question for Retirees on dental coverage

bmorechick — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 19:37:31 GMT

While I am fortunate that my employer dental and medical benefits continue for my husband and I for a lifetime after retirement at the same group rate, when my son turned 26 and aged out of my plan, we signed him up with The Dental Network through Blue Cross. He pays 120$ a year for membership and the copays for services are very reasonable. Now he only goes for cleanings, but I think he paid 30$. They cover cleanings every six months. We are in MD...not sure how this works in other states. Check it out...it also covers other dental stuff too but he just hasn’t required it.

Re: Question for Retirees on dental coverage

FranandZoe — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 19:37:54 GMT

We had it for a few years after we retired. But it didn't seem worth it. I can't remember what our premiums were but the co-pays on everything were pretty high too. We've been "self-insured" for about a dozen years and it's been fine.

Re: Question for Retirees on dental coverage

kaydee50 — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 19:50:16 GMT

I have Humana PPO dental. $23/month, covers 2 cleanings and various other procedures. Had it for a year and feel that it's worth it. Don't have too many issues with my teeth fortunately.

Re: Question for Retirees on dental coverage

CJC — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 19:54:27 GMT

@FranandZoe wrote:
We had it for a few years after we retired. But it didn't seem worth it. I can't remember what our premiums were but the co-pays on everything were pretty high too. We've been "self-insured" for about a dozen years and it's been fine.

You are correct. Husband and I are in mid 70’s. He’s retired police officer, so our benefits across the board were excellent while he was employed. We now have neither dental nor vision coverage. Vision we just don’t need period. When checking out dental plans we found that, for the most part, only the cheapie stuff is covered...cleanings, extractions, bite wing xrays, fillings etc. When it comes to necessary but expensive things like root canals, crowns, implants, ( things needed by those of us who are growing old) dental plans pay very little or none. Your monthly premium payments for dental coverage really add up over time. If you took only half of those monthly premiums and put the money in an envelope, you would be able to pay cash for many of your dental treatments. No insurance wants to pay for the pricier options.

Re: Question for Retirees on dental coverage

BirkiLady — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 21:06:38 GMT

Nope. Do the math. It doesn't compute. Even my DDS thinks his patients who pay for that coverage through their supplemental plans are crazy. Read the fine print and make your own decisions. Most don't go into effect until the following year . . . and the payout is very minimal. Be very wary of dental and vision coverage. Both of expensive and offer little in return. It's not rocket science!

Re: Question for Retirees on dental coverage

Mz iMac — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 21:09:41 GMT

Crowns, implants, etc are considered "cosmetic" and not covered under the "regular" dental insurance plans.

Fortunately in my neck of the woods there are dental schools which you can go to at a very reasonable price encluding "cosmetic" procedures. On top of that seniors get a excellent discount.

Dental procedures are done by students who are "seniors" w/their superiors supervising.

You may wish to check out dental schools in your area.

Re: Question for Retirees on dental coverage

ALRATIBA — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 21:21:39 GMT

After I retired, my dentist's office staff recommended Dental Save. It's not insurance but for a yearly membership you get a discount on services.

I think it's about $79 a year ... and savings on two cleanings, x-rays and checkup more than pays for it.

What I'm doing now is mostly cosmetic - bonding and veneers ... a bit of savings on that.

Re: Question for Retirees on dental coverage

deeva — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 21:22:01 GMT

We had dental coverage when we were working. Didn’t cover much, cleanings, xrays but only 50% for crowns. So it didn’t take long to reach the $1500 yearly limit.

Since retirement, I don’t think dental insurance is worth it. My twice yearly cleanings cost $105 each. And when I needed a crown, I paid cash.

DH did the same when he had implants. We also have a dental college nearby. I might check them out because their eye institute is fantastic.

Re: Question for Retirees on dental coverage

drizzellla — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 21:33:41 GMT

When I worked our dental plan was almost like being self insured. The only thing it covered was cleanings. And I was getting crowns, implants and root canals on a regular basis. Well, a few months before I retired the company got a new Dental Plan. Of course, it coved alot more but by then I had all the high price procedures done.

So now that I am retired, I am back to being self insured. I think I will stay that way and take my chances that all the crowns, root canals and implants stay put.

Re: Question for Retirees on dental coverage

RedTop — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 21:50:40 GMT

I’ve had Delta Dental coverage for 5 years since my COBRA coverage expired. I am very happy with the cost, and coverage.

Re: Question for Retirees on dental coverage

Mary Bailey — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 21:58:14 GMT

@SeaMaiden usually if you go from your group cobra plan to an individual plan (coverage on your own) you will not have a waiting period.

If you let 60 or more days between cobra & individual you may have waiting periods.

Watch the plan choices. Some don't cover major procedures (crowns, bridges, dentures)

Re: Question for Retirees on dental coverage

Kalli — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 00:05:21 GMT

We didn’t pick up dental insurance once my Cobra ended. Our dentist told us more often than not, patients say it’s not worth it.

It hasn’t had a negative effect on us yet, though, because I still have money in my health reimbursement account. Once that’s tapped I’m sure it’ll be more painful to shell out $ for dental visits.

Re: Question for Retirees on dental coverage

SeaMaiden — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 00:23:13 GMT

@Mary Bailey wrote:

@SeaMaiden usually if you go from your group cobra plan to an individual plan (coverage on your own) you will not have a waiting period.

If you let 60 or more days between cobra & individual you may have waiting periods.

Watch the plan choices. Some don't cover major procedures (crowns, bridges, dentures)

@Mary Bailey The cobra coverage ends January 31....the new coverage same company, Delta Dental, starts February 1. So it works out well. It is a very similar plan as the one we have had for years. We will use it for a year and see how it goes.

Re: Question for Retirees on dental coverage

jannabelle1 — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 01:53:15 GMT

I looked into dental coverage after I retired, and decided it wasn't worth the cost. I don't have a lot of problems with my teeth but I do get cleanings 3 times a year. The cost for coverage was more than my cleanings and the rare cavities I have as well as an occasional deep cleaning on a couple of teeth. There were too many exclusions in the policies I got information on. Fortunately the dental group where I go gives a 10% senior discount plus 1 free cleaning every year.

Re: Question for Retirees on dental coverage

aubnwa01 — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 02:37:22 GMT

I stayed on my former employer's MetLife group employee dental plan that I was on before I retired, but they take the premiums of $31 a month out of my pension.

Re: Question for Retirees on dental coverage

FranandZoe — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 11:04:19 GMT

@CJC wrote:
@FranandZoe wrote:
We had it for a few years after we retired. But it didn't seem worth it. I can't remember what our premiums were but the co-pays on everything were pretty high too. We've been "self-insured" for about a dozen years and it's been fine.
You are correct. Husband and I are in mid 70’s. He’s retired police officer, so our benefits across the board were excellent while he was employed. We now have neither dental nor vision coverage. Vision we just don’t need period. When checking out dental plans we found that, for the most part, only the cheapie stuff is covered...cleanings, extractions, bite wing xrays, fillings etc. When it comes to necessary but expensive things like root canals, crowns, implants, ( things needed by those of us who are growing old) dental plans pay very little or none. Your monthly premium payments for dental coverage really add up over time. If you took only half of those monthly premiums and put the money in an envelope, you would be able to pay cash for many of your dental treatments. No insurance wants to pay for the pricier options.

Exactly!

We don't have vision insurance since we retired either. We both use over-the-counter readers.

Re: Question for Retirees on dental coverage

ID2 — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 12:25:21 GMT

Wow, I'm shocked at those that are living life on the dangerous side! I would never live without insurance! I'm turning 65 next month and am deep in looking into all the health plans out there for Medicare. I don't have dental issues but picked a plan that will be well-worth $23/month. Who on earth wouldn't pay $23/month for dental coverage?? I just feel many are not looking past today.

Re: Question for Retirees on dental coverage

CrazyDaisy — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 13:06:44 GMT

@ID2 wrote:
Wow, I'm shocked at those that are living life on the dangerous side! I would never live without insurance! I'm turning 65 next month and am deep in looking into all the health plans out there for Medicare. I don't have dental issues but picked a plan that will be well-worth $23/month. Who on earth wouldn't pay $23/month for dental coverage?? I just feel many are not looking past today.

You need to look at what you get, what you need and how much it costs. Most dental plans cover only the basics and have high co-pay and a low annual cap for other services. Most dental practices have plans or reduced prices for those without insurance. Looking at all options to see what best fits your individual situation and comfort level is prudent.