I need Dental Insurance

[NinaBella]

You really think that $100/month is expensive for dental insurance for a family with one in braces and a second one going into braces and two implants?

I think they are the best you will find.

Thanks for your input. None of the kids are currently in braces. DD finished phase one over a year ago. Phase two will be coming up soon.

My DH is covered for implants under my current coverage. I am telling him to try to get everything done before I retire.

Actually, yes, everyone I have spoken with says it is expensive. I have found another plan (through DH employer) that I need to call on Monday to speak to a rep to ensure it will cover everything we need. It may be significantly cheaper, especially if DH can get his implants done before I retire.

 

[NinaBella]

I agree. Most dental I'm familiar with has very limited orthodontic coverage. I feel fortunate to have routine checkups fully covered, much less other care. Our plan has $1000 lifetime orthodontic coverage. That's it. Braces here are at least $5000.

From what I've heard (from family), military insurance is very good and many in the military would be surprised if they had to get insurance on the open market. I think insurance is one of the biggest perks of the military. I know and appreciate the Huge sacrifices of the military and their families.

My brother in law is in the military and is staying in because of how it covers my nieces medical care for spina bifida complications.

Dh is switching from a state employer to a federal employer this month and our health insurance is dropping by $200 a month for similar coverage. So I believe federal plans offered may be cheaper than open market.

Staying in is not an option for me as I have been separated from my family (husband and kids) for four years. I have served my 20 and now it's time to get back home.

I am finding ortho plans ranging from covering $1,000, $1,500, and one is $2,500 (through DH employer that I am considering). I think if I say with the military retiree dental plan I will not get a new lifetime cap even though it is a new plan. I am still trying to get the answer to that. If I change companies completely I get a new lifetime cap. So do you think that would be worth it? The retirees I know did not opt to keep the military retiree plan as they are going with employer offered insurance or the USAA (Cigna). The medical plan is reasonable and most retirees do stick with that.

 

[NinaBella]

But retired military are/can be different. My friend's husband is retired and they do now have to get Dental elsewhere.


OP do those listed insurances actually include what you will need? That's the real question.

We pay over $70 for us and if we each get a checkup twice a year, we barely cover the premium. If we have some work done then it's sort of worth it. Sort of. Orthodontia isn't covered very much, and something like wisdom teeth could easily go into medical insurance if it requires surgery and serious anesthetics and such. That's not just on Dental.

Hi, thanks for your reply. I have read each plan's website and spoken to the reps and both of the insurances I mention do meet our needs. My husband needs to get the ball rolling on getting his implants started. It's possible to get that squared away before I retire, or close to it. Even if we do not need the major restoration right now (assuming he can get the implant situation completed) I never know what might come up. My DH is 54 and as you get older the more dental work you sometimes need. My kids play sports, DD is an all star cheerleader (a flyer) so not to jinks ourselves but accidents do happen which may fall into a higher category. I would prefer to keep major restoration on our plan.

I suppose the wisdom teeth won't be and issue for several more years, but my older boys (19 and 21) had theirs removed under our dental plan. The 19 year old also had to have oral surgery at the age of 12 because "something" was blocking his 12 year old molar. As it turns out it was a (wisdom) tooth. We say it was a wisdom tooth because he had the other 3 removed and the wisdom tooth never came in where he had the oral surgery to remove the random tooth that was blocking the other molar.

I suppose I am spoiled. My dad was in the military for 28 years so I was always covered under him, then I joined the military.

 

[NinaBella]

Do you not already purchase dental for your family? Only the military member receives dental care for free in the active component. The family has to purchase a dental plan. You can continue to stay with Metlife if you have a plan now. Nothing should change really with your dental coverage when you retire.

Yes, I elected the family plan. $32.89 is automatically deducted from my pay each month.

The Met Life (Tricare Dental) Family plan automatically ends on your date of separation. Then it's up to the retired military member to find dental insurance, which is what I am doing now. If I elect to stay with the same plan I have on active duty for $32.89 would increase to $106 monthly. As I have mentioned, I have not received the answer to a few questions, but reading more online, I think I would not get a new lifetime cap on orthodontics. I also now think (different from original post) that if I enroll within 4 months of retirement, I will not have have the 12-month wait for orthodontics or major restoration. I am going to have to try to get someone on the phone to confirm that. Tricare Dental 800 line won't recognize my SSN as someone in their plan get get through to a live person. So I am going to try calling the active duty plan 800 number.

But if the Met Life (Tricare Dental) is $106 and the Cigna is $99, I am guaranteed a new lifetime cap for orthodontics, but there is the question of the 12-month wait. I have scheduled the kids 6-month check-up with our orthodontics to discuss with him what time-frame he is looking at putting the braces on/back on.

So as a budget board, I want to ask would it make sense just to go with a new plan anyways? One plan I am looking at has a lifetime cap of $2,500 for orthodontics.

 

[NinaBella]

Just a follow-up:

My husband facebooked a co-worker who said she elected to take the employee dental. She only has a 4 year old so I'm pretty sure she doesn't need the higher level plan. By the way, my DH is retired military and is now civil service. I am going to call next week to check on rates.

The company is GEHA
https://www.gehadental.com/
Just looking at the website rates the standard option is $64.25 and the high option is $109.16. the orthodontics is $2,,500 lifetime cap.

 

[aribelle]

Read the fine print.....many dental plans have caveats like you have to have been on the plan for 12 months before things like implants and dentures are paid (in other words they want to collect a large amount of premiums before they pay a small percentage of your work.

And for braces I have found policies don't allow you cancel (i.e. switch to another policy) during the work....so be sure this is a plan you can live with and that you plan to not move away from the area and want to change orthodontists.

We had a similar situation....twins who needed braces, hubby and I who wanted to get some broken teeth fixed......and after reading the fine print and doing the math it just wasn't financially going to be enough advantage. Instead we shopped around to dentists, offering to pay cash, and received discounts that made it less than the premiums and deductibles. Dentists don't especially like dental insurance either, because they have to accept what the plan decides their work was worth....and several that we spoke with all said that they end up doing work that was necessary for their patient, but that the plan refused to pay for and they couldn't charge their patient either. Had a friend with something similar.....she had seriously low pain threshold and having some work done just couldn't handle the pain.....needed the "laughing gas"....her plan didn't cover that for the procedure she was doing, and she couldn't afford it....dentist went ahead and let her have it, no charge, because it was the easiest way to do the work.

So...do your math and read and question it all. Keep in mind also that most insurance companies now bring you onboard for a reasonable monthly premium and next year (remember you can't get out of it if you want the work done) they raise it by extremes.

We ended up using a dental school for the girls' braces......the appointments took a little longer because you have advanced students doing the work and certified dentists mentoring and/or checking their work along the way. The price was quite a bit cheaper and the work was wonderful.

 

[Epcotfan64]

I agree. Most dental I'm familiar with has very limited orthodontic coverage. I feel fortunate to have routine checkups fully covered, much less other care. Our plan has $1000 lifetime orthodontic coverage. That's it. Braces here are at least $5000.

From what I've heard (from family), military insurance is very good and many in the military would be surprised if they had to get insurance on the open market. I think insurance is one of the biggest perks of the military. I know and appreciate the Huge sacrifices of the military and their families.

My brother in law is in the military and is staying in because of how it covers my nieces medical care for spina bifida complications.

Dh is switching from a state employer to a federal employer this month and our health insurance is dropping by $200 a month for similar coverage. So I believe federal plans offered may be cheaper than open market.

We should all have that same level of care, regardless of chosen profession. My appendicitis isn't worth any more or any less than yours.

If a soldier takes up smoking in the military, having purchased taxpayer-subsidized cigarettes from the commissary, and develops an illness caused by smoking, should he pull out his Tri-Care card or VA Health card to get it taken care of, considering that smoking isn't a requirement for military employment?

 

[Southernmiss]

We should all have that same level of care, regardless of chosen profession. My appendicitis isn't worth any more or any less than yours.

If a soldier takes up smoking in the military, having purchased taxpayer-subsidized cigarettes from the commissary, and develops an illness caused by smoking, should he pull out his Tri-Care card or VA Health card to get it taken care of, considering that smoking isn't a requirement for military employment?

I don't disagree with you at all. Not sure how you got all that from my post. But ok.

I don't like that in the US that health care is tied to employment either. Dh was in the reserves so we've not personally had military healthcare. I believe our own employer offered policies have not been very good. And dh is starting career #2 today now with the federal government. From what I've seen on the websites, this insurance offered is comparable to our old if not better and premiums for a family are $200 cheaper per month.

My whole point of the post, as I said later, was that coming off of military sponsored insurance after many years might be sticker shock to someone not on the open market insurance system before.

 

[Epcotfan64]

I don't disagree with you at all. Not sure how you got all that from my post. But ok.

I don't like that in the US that health care is tied to employment either. Dh was in the reserves so we've not personally had military healthcare. I believe our own employer offered policies have not been very good. And dh is starting career #2 today now with the federal government. From what I've seen on the websites, this insurance offered is comparable to our old if not better and premiums for a family are $200 cheaper per month.

My whole point of the post, as I said later, was that coming off of military sponsored insurance after many years might be sticker shock to someone not on the open market insurance system before.

It's sticker shock because health care isn't price controlled, as it should be. Why? Because you don't shop around for the best price on a right lower lobe pneumonectomy (necessity) as you would for a Ford Mustang (luxury).

And you're right--health care should not be coupled to employment. After all, employers don't offer employees group fire rescue plans, group police protection plans, group trash collection plans or group education-to-the-12th-grade plans for your children.

My neighbor down the street is retired Navy, smokes like chimney (said he started smoking while in the Navy), and is being treated for throat cancer, at taxpayer expense, of course, as he likes to boast he's on Tri-Care Prime. Our taxes paid for his cheap commissary cigarettes and now they're paying for the health care to treat the result of smoking those taxpayer-subsidized cigarettes.

If a former military employee, now on Tri-Care, falls from a ladder at home while trimming trees and fractures his hip, should he pull out his Tri-Care card to get it taken care of or should he pull out his own BC/BS card? Remember, that hip fracture had nothing to do with his former military employment.

 

[tasha99]

It's sticker shock because health care isn't price controlled, as it should be. Why? Because you don't shop around for the best price on a right lower lobe pneumonectomy (necessity) as you would for a Ford Mustang (luxury).

And you're right--health care should not be coupled to employment. After all, employers don't offer employees group fire rescue plans, group police protection plans, group trash collection plans or group education-to-the-12th-grade plans for your children.

My neighbor down the street is retired Navy, smokes like chimney (said he started smoking while in the Navy), and is being treated for throat cancer, at taxpayer expense, of course, as he likes to boast he's on Tri-Care Prime. Our taxes paid for his cheap commissary cigarettes and now they're paying for the health care to treat the result of smoking those taxpayer-subsidized cigarettes.

If a former military employee, now on Tri-Care, falls from a ladder at home while trimming trees and fractures his hip, should he pull out his Tri-Care card to get it taken care of or should he pull out his own BC/BS card? Remember, that hip fracture had nothing to do with his former military employment.

The VA and Tricare are different. Tricare is a plan that is elected by retirees, and should cover whatever other insurances would cover. Someone with BC/BS would have their throat cancer covered; so should a retiree who has elected to have Tricare. Many jobs provide continuing insurance after employment, and it's ridiculous to think it should only be for service related illnesses.

 

[Epcotfan64]

It should be Medicare for all, regardless of what career path you chose. The idea that some Americans get better health care than others simply because of their chosen career path is absurd. All men are created equal.

Why does the military have to be so incentivized anyway? Do you join to serve the country or do you join to get the perks?

 

[NinaBella]

oops duplicate post.

 

[NinaBella]

Interesting turn in the conversation.

I just came back to say that DH did make some calls today (and I called to clarify some things he told me). The GEHA from his employer has open enrollment in November. The price is not that much cheaper than the Met Life or Cigna, but there is NOT a 12-month wait for implants. There is a 12-month wait for orthodontics but it's $2,500.

DH called his dental office and they said GEHA was awesome and they are in-network. Our orthodontic office will also take GEHA and also said they were good. The only concern is our "pediatric dentist" is out of network for GEHA and said we may have to switch dentist. I love our kids dentist but switching is not an issue since they are great dental patients, not scared, etc. So we don't really need the pediatric dentist anymore.

The prices listed below are what his co-worker pays every two weeks. I think we will take the dental and vision. I don't think the vision is included in the retiree medical. DH, DD, and I all wear glasses. DS is the only one so far who does not.

Dental - GEHA High Plan $50.38
Vision - $14.04
Health - BCBS High $142.75

Thanks for any positive input you contributed. I am trying to budget in case I do not find a new career right away. Also, I plan to go back to school full-time to finish my master's (6 classes away). Then possibly a second master's degree. So we have to know what our budget will be.

Sorry, I had no intentions of starting a debate. Since I have never had to research and compare dental plans before, I thought some of you on this board may have some experience and recommendations.

 

[aribelle]

Why does the military have to be so incentivized anyway? Do you join to serve the country or do you join to get the perks?

Really? Did you think that through before you typed it?

I feel confident when I say that I doubt anyone joined the military to put their life on the line, literally, just for the perks. The pay is low enough that some families qualify for WIC (a program to give grocery vouchers to pregnant women, and to their infants and toddlers after birth so that they have some specific healthy foods). There are very few career fields in the military where you won't be called up to leave your family and your country and go fight a war with the enemy constantly wanting to harm or kill you. I could go on but I hope that you see how silly your statement was, lol.

 

[sherlock14]

Why does the military have to be so incentivized anyway? Do you join to serve the country or do you join to get the perks?

If I said what I want to say to you regarding your comment I'd probably be banned from this forum.

 

[ilovemk76]

Really? Did you think that through before you typed it?

I feel confident when I say that I doubt anyone joined the military to put their life on the line, literally, just for the perks. The pay is low enough that some families qualify for WIC (a program to give grocery vouchers to pregnant women, and to their infants and toddlers after birth so that they have some specific healthy foods). There are very few career fields in the military where you won't be called up to leave your family and your country and go fight a war with the enemy constantly wanting to harm or kill you. I could go on but I hope that you see how silly your statement was, lol.

I know people who did.

The low pay does not include housing. As a result the income is skewed to the lower side.