Well, my dental insurance, at work, is no longer "free"

[blueamy66]

In order to continue to recieve crappier bennies, I must now fork out $40 a month....which, with the deductible, figures out to $500 a year.

So, now I must roll the dice.

Do I pay the $500, guessing that I might need some work, so that I can get another $500 in bennies, or just pay for one cleaning/checkup for $250 out of my pocket?

This sucks...

Oh, and my medical insurance "meeting" is in 2 months. That payment is DEFINITELY gonna go up.

Something has to change...

[Le Taz Hot]

1. $40.00 a month.

You have a job.

You have medical insurance.

And you're complaining that you have to pay a whole $40.00 a month for dental insurance?

Don't take this wrong and I mean this with utmost respect, but, dude(ette), cry me a river. :eyes:

[CoffeeCat]

4. I totally understand...

When you're working hard for your bennies and pay--it puts the big squeeze on you to have to fork over
more dough for things that used to be free or of little cost.

You, and others work hard for your salary and benefits. The corporations are slowly taking away everything
and shifting the cost onto workers.

This is something that everyone should be concerned about--because one way or another--they'll get ALL OF US.

Corporations used to pay fair wages and give decent benefits. That's all eroding. Corporations used to be
proud to employ American workers. That's a joke to even entertain that notion now.

Slowly, corporations are saying "screw you!" to the American worker---by outsourcing, cutting pay, cutting benefits. And
by "American worker" I mean dentists too. Many dentists are going under because of these benefit cuts and because people
are less likely to visit the dentist when money is tight. We're all connected and we should all be concerned.

This affects all of us. It affects our entire economy and it affects individual households.

We're all in this together and we all are affected by this reckless mentality--no matter what your income or employment
status.

[blueamy66]

8. I knew I'd get a response like this.

I guess that I am complaining that I have to fork out $500 a year to get and extra $500 a year in dental work.

It just doesn't seem worth it.

Sorry if I sound like I am whining.

I am very grateful that I have a job.

And...right now I pay $200 a month for BCBS...I KNOW that's gonna double this next year. Now that's alot of friggin' money for a single person to fork out.

[LiberalFighter]

19. It could be a lot higher if you paid it all yourself without your employer paying part.

You should ask how much of the insurance your employer pays. 20 years ago if I was paying for my insurance instead of my employer it would had cost me over $700 a month.

[blueamy66]

25. My employer isn't paying anything anymore.

Those are group discounted rates.

[sofa king]

11. I love your name.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFzuGvhvwL4

[Le Taz Hot]

13. LOL

Thanks. Few people get the reference. And thanks for the link -- I LOVE Satchmo!

[SidDithers]

20. Thanks for posting that...

I'd always thought that username was taken from Victor Victoria song. :)

Sid

[Warpy]

18. A pay cut is a pay cut

and the increasing cost of for profit insurance plans is the main reason wages have been falling backwards even as the currency inflates.

[Brickbat]

22. Believing that people can't complain until things can't possibly get any worse only reinforces the

race to the bottom that this country is in.

[Le Taz Hot]

23. I never said he/she couldn't complain.

But being 54, out of work, with no hope of employment, asthmatic and no insurance, it just didn't garner a whole lot of sympathy from my perspective. The OP understood.

[Brickbat]

24. True, you didn't.

But I'm always surprised when someone has a legitimate complaint and is met with "cry me a river" and a roll of the eyes. That kind of "I've got it worse than you, so I'm not going to care about your losses" attitude is one of the many things that keeps us divided.

[Stinky The Clown]

2. Price a crown and then decide .......

...... the $500 is cheap.

I suspect you're complaining in a place where some people will be sympathetic to your plight, but most won't.

[LiberalFighter]

17. My last crown cost $970 out of my own pocket.

[TheCowsCameHome]

3. Heh.

Nice gig if you can get it.

[rucky]

5. If it's just for you, and you have good choppers, I'd shop some private plans first.

40 is too high for just dental.

[Shagbark Hickory]

6. Don't waste your money, Those dental plans don't cover diddley. Read the fine print.

[TheCowsCameHome]

12. Too many exclusions anyway. Plus they only pay a percentage

of what they actually do cover.

It's a scam.

[izquierdista]

7. How close do you live to Mexico?

There, a major procedure like a root canal or a porcelain cap will cost you about $300. They have plenty of good dentists in Mexico and many of them speak English.

[blueamy66]

9. very close...I'm south of PHX

and that was the "talk" yesterday afternoon around the water cooler.

The insurance co did hand out free toothbrushes...we were all saying that each brush was worth $250 each.

Hell, for a family....$400 a month now! For those working paycheck to paycheck...that would be a big hit, no?

[izquierdista]

15. Drive down one weekend and check it out

Get familiar with your options. I had a porcelain cap replaced, and I liked the doctor and the service better than stateside.

[blueamy66]

26. I am seriously considerting doing this.

Thanks!

[Shagbark Hickory]

28. How close do you live to a Home Depot parking lot? nt

[napi21]

10. I would probably drop the dental. All the dental ins. I have

ever seen has crappy coverage anyway, and you end up gtting very little return for your money. It doesn't function at all like health ins.

[dysfunctional press]

14. consider yourself fortunate- most people don't even have that.

nt

[LiberalFighter]

16. Based on the fact the premium is $40 it is an individual plan not family or couple.

[liberalla]

21. When does the rate increase go into effect?

If there's time, see your dentist again and ask if he sees any looming problems. Gingivitis, etc. I think mid-forties is when teeth start having different types of problems, and need a different level of care... generally speaking. I'm not a dental expert, just sharing personal experiences of friends/co-workers, and what my dentist told me. Good luck to you!

[blueamy66]

27. after the first of the year....

Yep, everyone is trying to get in before the end of the month.

Thanks!!!