Question for Retirees on dental coverage

SeaMaiden · ‎03-10-2010

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.

homedecor1 · ‎03-09-2010

@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.

bmorechick · ‎03-11-2010

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.

FranandZoe · ‎03-09-2010

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.

kaydee50 · ‎02-07-2011

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.

CJC · ‎03-11-2010

@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.

BirkiLady · ‎02-22-2015

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!

Money screams; wealth whispers.

Mz iMac · ‎07-26-2014

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.

"Never argue with a fool. Onlookers may not be able to tell the difference."

ALRATIBA · ‎07-15-2016

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.

deeva · ‎03-09-2010

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.