I'm not a fan of dental discounts plans - haven't seen the value yet. Well, my wife comes home today from the dentist - needs a root canal and crown - total, just over $2,400.
This is actually the owner - dentist who handed the pamphlet to my wife, then worked her up the cost if we signed up - less than half - under $1,200 for everything.
So we pay just over $150 per year for a family plan and save $1,200? Not bad actually.
------------------------------------ Health Insurance Agents: Training, Support, Discounts, E&O for $440 www.ihiaa.com
I would personally shop the dental work, it's way competitive.
Yah, but maybe the other Dentists don't accept that new plan that healthagent just bought... I wonder if he looked at the network before signing on the dotted line.
But then again, who wants to have their teeth fixed by the lowest bidder...? Heck, I don't even want the lowest bidder working on my cars, really. Not always, but over time, you get what you pay for, and when you get a bad job I would certainly hope it isn't on a body part.
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"A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him." David Brinkley
Last edited by SportsNut : 01-07-2009 at 02:44 PM.
18 participating dental offices located in the Central Florida / Orlando area. 3 participating dental offices located in the Maryland / Baltimore Area. 13 participating dental offices located in the Pittsburgh, PA Area. 7 participating dental offices located in the Las Vegas / Reno, NV Area
I am sorry but that participation is weak at best.
You really bought that? Is your dentist in network?
Not a fan of discount plans, but DP Brokers seems to do as good a job as any.
Frankly I am surprised you are not pushing the Time DHMO. It's as good a plan as any and slightly better than the Humana DHMO.
Network plans have their good and bad, just like DHMO's. The issue I have with network plans are these.
They mostly have dentists that are inexperienced.
There is no oversight. If a dentist wants to make you come back 3x for something that could be handled in one sitting you have no way of knowing if they are gouging you or not.
Same for telling you that you need work done that may be unnecessary. Without a gatekeeper you have no way of knowing if you are being gouged or not.
All the networks I have seen have schedules for routine stuff but not a lot of detail on what is covered. Do you get 1 X-ray or 3 for your $20? Is that two cleanings per calendar year or 12 months?
I never push dental coverage but manage to write 4 or 5 DP plans a year. The DHMO is new to GA but I figure more of those will be sold as time goes on.
Given the choice between a network and DHMO I would pick the DHMO any day.
Yes, some speed bumps with them, I go with Unicare or GE mostly. But headaches are sometimes everywhere that the clients are!
GE -- are they still in business?
Seriously, the really good dentists don't participate in most dental plans, discount or otherwise. They have loyal patients and don't have to.
The dental mills (Coast here in the Southeast would be an example) and the newbie dentists have to do it to find clients/patients. I've found that you'll do just as well asking them for a discount, without paying the $10-$20 per month.
Of course I don't make the $1.42 per month, but I don't lose the $250 annual renewal either cuz they're pissed off...
You do have to be a bit savvy and hold your own. For example, they wanted my wife to come back for a root canal "consultation" or some nonsense - $175. I said, ummmm, nope. Schedule her and we'll get it done. Without blinking they said "sure." That was a pure $175 stroke.
I always recommend dental discount plans over insurance. I also tell the client to find the dentist they want to go to and ask them which plans they accept, then go to dentalplans.com and shop. The commissions and the potential for problems keep me from actually selling them, though I am an agent for Careington.
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Chuck
If you think your boss is stupid, remember: you wouldn't have a job if he was any smarter.”
Right now I am selling Dental PPO plans. They have the best rates with the best coverage. Then if a network provider does something wrong like not doing perio charting before a crown well then the client and the carrier does not have to pay because the dentist signed the contract to be in the PPO network.
I have a handful of dental practices as clients and couple of them are my friends and they all tell me the same thing. The only reason they would join a network discount plan is to obtain new clients when they are just starting out.
My favorite little pizza joint here in Tampa is run by two brothers from NYC. Just a hole-in-the-wall, with the excellent (authentic) thin crust NY pie - the kind where you have to fold over a slice to eat it. I always order a Peroni with it. They each work about 156 hours a week.
Place hasn't been remodeled since 1968. Their prized possession is a picture of them with Vinny Testaverde when he was with the Bucs.
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