The Tricare dental program isn't very good.

Searching for a dental insurance plan for the family and myself. Just 3 of us.

Anthem for us.

Delta

Mastercard or Visa in my case.

Delta high option. I'm not familiar with a lot of policies, but I get told everywhere I use it "Whoa, you have really good insurance." I dropped to the standard option this year, but it still looks excellent.

Anthem.

I chose Delta from my employer, but our dentist has a membership program that was about 15% more expensive last year. Next year it may be better to skip the insurance and go direct.

Because of the employer I'm retired from it's Anthem. My wife is Cigna. Dental Insurance is damned expensive!

I put $30.00 in an envelope every month.
It pays for a yearly check up an then some.

You might need to put $100.00 , at least.

Four years ago I had to pay $360.00 from the envelope and $166.00 , out of pocket.

I am looking at Cigna through USAA.

It is probably not the best plan but some is better than none.

Since I moving back to a drilling unit I am eligible for Tricare for my insurance needs but I do know that the dental program sucks.

I was really happy with Metlife but you know how the government is: Why have something thats effective and works!!!!

United Concordia through work...it seems to be accepted at most places.

Aetna through Tricare. No complaints.

My dentist has a plan called "Denvantage".

$360 per person up front, that gets you 2 cleanings and annual x-rays at no charge, plus 10% off any other work all year.

Don't come out all that far ahead, but it makes more sense for me than traditional insurance.

I don't. I pay for any needed work.

flashguy

quote:

Originally posted by tsmccull:
Mastercard or Visa in my case.

Yeah, my dental insurance is Ye Olde Chequebook.

Career Health Insurance Finance guy here - if your Employer is subsidizing a plan then purchase through them if not I would not buy dental insurance but budget for it. Almost all dental plans have an annual limit of $1,000 or $1,500 so in a bad year for you the insurer's losses are capped and in good years the premium is going to exceed your OOP costs. Dental Insurance is priced to between a 70% and 80% ratio, meaning 20 -30% is the Insurers Costs and Profit level, combined. Not as bad as insuring your TV through Best Buy where it is 60% going to those items. The discounts negotiated arent as large in Dental Insurance as with Health Insurance so you may pay the dentist more than an insurer but you eliminate the middle man.

Delta

Delta

quote:

Originally posted by Perception:
Delta high option. I'm not familiar with a lot of policies, but I get told everywhere I use it "Whoa, you have really good insurance." I dropped to the standard option this year, but it still looks excellent.

I too have Delta High and am told it's a good plan. The billing/insurance lady at my dentist wasn't falling out of her chair blown away about it, but I did ask if Delta High is a good plan and she didn't hesitate to say it is. She mentioned one other (I forget which one) that is a good plan too. My point is, maybe ask your dentist's billing/insurance person what the best plan is for your particular circumstance. If they're experienced and friendly, they might have some things to think about.

EDIT: I chose Delta High plan when it became available, what, 1-2yrs ago because I KNEW I'd have big dental bills coming soon, but it may be better coverage than some might need and Delta offers 3 (I think) plan levels of coverage. I'm 67 and wear a conventional upper denture and have 10 remaining natural lower teeth. On FEB 9th, I will have those 10 lower teeth extracted, get 9 implants (5 upper and 4 lower) for snap in dentures. Then in 3mos, if the implants "take", the implants will have post or abutments installed. SOoooo ... conventional transitional dentures, extractions, implants, abutments, finalized snap in dentures upper and lower ... all adds up to a pretty hefty price tag and I need the best plan Delta has to offer. Concerning all this work I'm having done and the expense, my dentist noted, "Consider it buying a new car."

I have Delta Dental. When I first signed up (20 years ago), I chose the low option to save a few bucks. Within a few months, I needed a root canal and regretted that decision. I now subscribe to the high option. While it is good, it isn’t amazing. I have cleanings three times a year and end up paying $70-100 out of pocket for the extra cleaning. Not bad, but not amazing.