While I am employed, I work at home for a company in another state, and the dental insurance options through my company were not viable. So, of course, I relied on the internet to research my options, and I looked, specifically, for "dental insurance"
Lo and Behold, the stuff that came up, was for Dental Discount Plans. Upon first glance, it seemed like this could actually have been a better deal then anything offered through my firm. The conversation on the websites touted these plans, often with premiums of to per month, to be better than conventional dental insurance in every imaginable way. No issues in applying, no maximums, no deductibles, and no waiting.
So, I am sitting here, reading how in EVERY possible way this is better than insurance, and it strikes me. If something seems to good to be true, maybe it is. If these were so much better than conventional insurance, why did my firm have so much trouble finding affordable insurance; they should have simply joined one of these "discount" programs.
Well, the site even attached me to an "independent" article which BASHED the conventional insurance…Then it struck me…If I was a dentist, would I be happy joining these discount plans and basically getting 50% to 75% less for my services. Yeah Yeah, I am getting my payment up front and not waiting for the insurance to pay me (again, playing the role of the dentist), but is that worth the tremendously discounted amount (does not make sense when you compare the time value of money).
So, I realized that if I were a dentist, I would not want anything to do with these plans…Or would I? Does being a part of these discount programs really bring in enough clients to justify that deep a cut in the fee schedule.
Then I started to think…Is it possible that there is something up with these deeply discounted fee schedules I keep seeing on these sites? Are the fees just being jacked up and then discounted back down to the point where I might as well not be a member of the Discount Program, and just a regular walk in? Can I go to a dentist and ask them for the fee schedule, and then after the fact, compare it to the discount program to see that I am really getting a discount, and it is not some number playing farce.
I would want to know as a dentist whether these discount programs are worth anything. I need some kind of coverage, and for the few self insurance programs I see, the monthly premiums are incredibly high, and yes, when compared to the discount programs, it seems like NO ONE would EVER join these insurance programs since they are more limited and more expensive…Yet….They are still in the insurance business.
Will someone please give me the scoop…I need to have an affordable option here, but don’t want to be duped into joining one of these discount programs.
Thank You
First answer is not what I was looking for. I already know about all the "discount" programs - I won’t reiterate the dissertation I have already given, but I already KNOW about all the programs in my desperate search for something - I want to know if they are legitimate, or just some way to get me to spend monthly premiums for something that is probably not providing a benefit.
