#BI BUCK MAKES SENSE FOR A HUNDRED REASONS

[wikiangela]

fav lines game

rules: share your favourite lines or paragraph you've written from one of your fics, posted or wip.

tagged by @lover-of-mine @bidisasterevankinard @diazsdimples @dangerpronebuddie @hippolotamus

so ofc suddenly I'm forgetting everything I've ever written lol but here's some of the most recent ones idk

from I wanna breathe you in

“Both.” Buck nods, so confident and sure in this. “I want- I want my family, my friends to know that I’m- that I’m bi.” he says, a smile splitting his face. He’s taken a minute to label himself, but when he found this one, it felt right. Bisexual. That’s what he is, that’s what feels like him, like Buck, like Evan. Like all the parts of himself that felt scattered and chaotic and weren’t making any sense are finally settled in the right place, glued together by this realization, by this one simple word – bisexual. The only person who knows so far is Maddie, and he wants to tell everyone else, wants them all to know, and wants to share how happy he is. Besides, he thinks she’s going to explode if she keeps it from Chimney any longer – and once Chim knows, well, even with the best intentions, he sucks at keeping secrets. He doesn’t want Tommy to be his secret. “And I want them to know you’re my boyfriend.” he adds confidently.

from I'm comin' back, don't let me go

He feels like every single action, just getting up, getting dressed, pouring a glass of water, getting something to eat, just anything takes much more effort than it should, than it used to. Living takes much more effort than it used to. Sometimes he thinks maybe it’d be better if he- He doesn’t want to die, not again, not really, but he can’t help thinking that he’d rather not be here. Not when he feels the way he feels. He doesn’t feel like himself, he’s just putting up a front, a Buck-shaped mask in front of people. He feels like a hollow, empty vessel. He just- he doesn’t want to be here.

from you can see it with the lights out (you are in love)

 It’s sweet and soft, and it makes Buck’s stomach flutter even more, but at the same time it feels like everything is finally as it should be, like relief, like coming home after a long trip, like taking a breath of fresh air after being in a smoke-filled burning building. It feels familiar, like home, like they’ve been doing this forever, like maybe they’ve been in love through multiple lifetimes, always finding their way to each other. It’s a ridiculous thought, a little bit, that he knows Eddie would fondly roll his eyes at and tell him there’s no such thing as past lives or fate. Buck believes what he believes, though. He feels like he’s loved Eddie for an eternity, and he’ll love him for another one, or a hundred, or a thousand eternities, as long as the world keeps turning, and if there’s anything after that, then even longer. He’s never been more sure of anything in his life.

also this from my most recent fic bc for some reason i just love this little moment haha - we don't know where this is going now (don't be afraid of heights, let me open your heart wide) 

“I know.” Evan chuckles, his gaze settling on Tommy’s. “I just- I really want to.” “Okay.” Tommy repeats, smiling, and waiting. It’s fine if Evan changes his mind, but this is his to initiate. Tommy will wait. He’d wait forever, is the thing, and it’s scary, with how short they know each other. “Okay.” Evan echoes, and then he’s grabbing Tommy’s chin, similar to how Tommy grabbed his during their first kiss. His thumb nestles into his cleft, and Tommy sees a flash of an endeared smile before Evan’s lips are on his, fingers not letting him go.

no pressure tags: @elvensorceress @thebravebitch @shortsighted-owl @eddiebabygirldiaz @watchyourbuck

@eowon @loserdiaz @evanbegins @ladydorian05 @wildlife4life

@diazpatcher @monsterrae1 @thewolvesof1998 @weewootruck @loveyouanyway

@spagheddiediaz @rainbow-nerdss @epicbuddieficrecs @pirrusstuff @spotsandsocks

@alliaskisthepossibilityoflove @nmcggg @rogerzsteven @giddyupbuck @tommykinards

@honestlydarkprincess @underwaterninja13 @exhuastedpigeon @911-on-abc @jesuisici33

@steadfastsaturnsrings @theotherbuckley @buddieswhvre @tizniz @daffi-990

@fortheloveofbuddie @hoodie-buck

[onrainynights]

why you can't compare buddie to destiel (from someone who ships both)

this is kind of addressing the recent negativity in the buddie tag, but it's also a collection of my thoughts and reasoning for being buddie-positive despite my experiences with destiel and spn in general. the text of 911 is not really discussed at all, and this is relatively spoiler-free, so if you're thinking of watching 911 I encourage you to read it. if you haven't seen both shows it probably won't make perfect sense, but I wrote this with spn fans who haven't seen 911 in mind, since that's most of my followers (and also seems to be where much of the negativity was coming from) pretty long post under the cut to save your dash

I just want to prepare y'all for the fact that buddie could be the slow burn will they/won't they mlm romance we've been waiting for practically forever.

at this point it's not fair to call it queerbait because where their relationship is now fits the characters and their development. this is not like destiel, where there were many moments over the years that could've ended with them getting together and it would've made sense with the story. buddie right now is in this sweet, wholesome pre-relationship kind of place, which on its own is a compelling dynamic and so fun and good to see. a resolution of it right now would feel out of character—they both still have some development to do before that would feel natural. and so, I don't think we can really call it queerbaiting unless the characters get to that point and there is still no resolution.

also I'd like to point out the overall positivity from the cast when it comes to buddie. both Eddie's and Buck's actors have said (I'm paraphrasing cast statements in this post unless they are in quotations) positive things about the pairing, and Buck's actor has said that he likes the interpretation of Buck as queer, and he would be happy if the writers took his character in that direction. also Eddie's actor with "that's what they all say" when buddie was referred to as a "bromance". Jennifer Love Hewitt, who plays Buck's sister (another main character), is very supportive of buddie, saying she's "rooting for it", that it would be "amazing", she doesn't "see how it couldn't happen one day". this was in response to hearing that a fan insists Buck and Eddie will be a couple. She flat-out said "I think so, too." She jokes about buddie with Buck's and Eddie's actors all the time. Also, my favorite bit from the video of her saying all this, "Let's manifest it together!"

It's safe to say this is a VERY different environment to spn. I don't think I've ever seen a cast this positive about a show's main non-canon queer ship before. NEVER. I think it's safe to say that if/when buddie is canonized, the cast will be just as excited as the fans—at least JLH will be! Add into the fact that the show's PR seems to be leaning into bi buck and buddie right now, it's a VERY different vibe than spn had, definitely. There's no gaslighting of the fans here, at least not that I've seen. also, although 911 has a large casual viewership, I think it's safe to say the GA would not be upset by buddie—there are only 3 serious, long-term romantic relationships involving main characters in this show, and one of them is a lesbian marriage with two children. And yes, the characters are shown being lesbians, it's not just a stated fact; the audience is privy to their relationship (and their interactions with their adorable kids). I think it's safe to say that buddie would go over well with the fans, even the casual viewers (of which there are many). buddie doesn't seem to be a huge divider in fandom like destiel is, either. reactions generally seem to be either "I ship it" or "I don't care either way."

Also I'd like to point out that while yes, it's possible that buddie is only bait (which would be disappointing), there's a reason queerbaiting works. people WANT to be queerbaited, because it's nearly indistinguishable from a slow burn will they/won't they queer romance. queerbaiting allows fans to make theories, create fan content (including fic), and keeps them engaged with the dynamic and the show. fans who are vulnerable to queerbaiting want a slow burn will they/won't they queer romance, which is currently an almost completely untapped market. spn could've tapped it, but despite the huge fandom they did not. there are SO MANY people outside of spn fandom who want a slow burn mlm romance, one that keeps the audience guessing, one that's will they/won't they, one that is not guaranteed, and that is why queerbaiting works so well. the audience doesn't just want the payoff, they also want the build-up. the longer the build-up, the higher the payoff, and the suspense of the build-up is gone if you know from the start that the payoff is definitely coming. that's part of why malec from shadowhunters didn't fully tap this market—there was no question of if, only the question of when (which wasn't really a question either, given there was an episode in season 1 literally titled "malec" when they got together.) the characters were always queer, the show being an adaptation of a book series where they were in a relationship and eventually had children together.

this was why November 5th was such a big deal—fans were so far past the will they/won't they aspect of destiel, firmly believing that destiel would always end as a "won't they" and not a "will they" that when cas confessed his romantic love for dean, destiel trended on Twitter over the US election. you all know that story, but maybe not everyone reading this knows that after Nov. 5 there was a case of hundreds if not thousands of spn fans experiencing love sickness because of the confession scene. the payoff of making destiel fully canon (and reciprocated, in English) would've been huge. fans would've been throwing their money at the c/w.

which leads me to the possibility (this is not at all me saying that I think this happened or even is likely, just that it's one possibility that /could/ have happened) that buddie started as bait, that the writers never intended for them to be a couple, but saw fan reactions to buddie during season 2 and started to lean into it in season 3 (and 4 so far, but it just started so I don't want to make any generalized statements about it) possibly still as bait or maybe not deciding yet if they'll go anywhere with it. and then maybe they saw destiel trending on November 5th, realized just how BIG the market for a slow burn will they/won't they mlm romance is, and said "hey, we already have the foundations for one of those. why not go for it and draw in all those viewers who clearly want one so badly?"

if buddie goes canon, because the cast and PR have been so positive about it, unlike spn, and because of the text of the show itself, the show's creatives could VERY EASILY claim that they were never baiting, that it was all an intentional slow burn will they/won't they romance from the beginning, and most people would believe them; there isn't really any evidence to the contrary, although I am sure there would be at least a few fans convinced it started as queerbaiting, and there might not be any evidence to refute that, either.

the point is that 911 is currently sitting on a gold mine. if they play their cards right, and execute buddie well, they will monopolize this market that old straight white men serving as network executives have failed so far to really tap into. they queerbait without the payoff, which gives the show a reputation among those in the market who haven't seen it, guaranteeing they will never watch it. shows in this vein: sherlock (huge reputation for queerbaiting and a finale fans didn't like) and spn (huge reputation for queerbaiting and a finale fans didn't like). spn got so, so close with cas's confession but then continued to gaslight its fans, and PR did not lean into destiel AT ALL. if 911 did buddie? the PR team would be all over it. it would be a moneymaker, big time, and Fox knows it. if buddie, or even just bi buck, went canon, tumblr would be all over it. viewership for the show, which is already impressive, would skyrocket. 911 would monopolize this market, because fans wary of queerbaiting would watch it with the knowledge that the payoff is there, and there really wouldn't be a competitor until other shows saw the success of buddie and followed suit with their own pairings, and given the fact that the market specifically wants /slow burn/ queer romances, that might take a couple years. that puts 911 in a really good position, where suddenly the fandom of the show, not just the GA, is very large and likely very dedicated to the show. the success of canon buddie might just change the landscape of TV in the coming years, showing execs that while queerbaiting does work, actually going through with it is really where the money is. 911 would not just monopolize the market for a while; it would pioneer it.

if buddie never goes canon, I would probably be a bit disappointed at the wasted potential, but unless the characters get to that point where canon buddie seems like the most logical outcome and they /don't/ go for it, I won't be truly upset because I don't think it's fair to claim its queerbaiting until then. I can't tell you how likely it is that buddie will be canon at some point, but it seems FAR more likely than destiel /ever/ did, and we ended up getting cas's confession in the end. I have hope, despite being hurt so badly by spn. 911 is a genuinely great show with some fantastic writing, and they don't leave chekov's gun unfired, unlike spn.

really, it comes down to this: if Jennifer Love Hewitt is allowed to clown for buddie, then so am I, and I'll enjoy this show—which is amazing even without canon buddie—while I apply my clown makeup.

[dentalinfotoday]

On the search for a good dentist, it’s important to consider your dental insurance. Is s/he in your network? What will be covered? How much will you owe?

I worked for two dental offices as the office manager and was responsible for insurance billing and patient communication. And let me be the first to tell you—dental insurance (and all insurance, for that matter) is complicated.

That’s why I’m here to unravel all the myths, misconceptions, terminology, and coverage for you.

Whether you’re looking for a way to understand your current dental insurance plan, deciding which one to choose, or anything in between…I’ve got you covered.

(See what I did there?)

But first, let’s talk about what dental insurance really is—and what it’s not.

The True Cost of Dental Insurance [+ Common Myths]

The word “insurance” implies an understanding that you’ll be financially protected if the worst case scenario arises. However, you may not be aware that dental insurance is vastly different than most other insurance programs in place.

Unlike medical, life insurance, and home-owners insurance, dental coverage maximums are not hundreds of thousands of dollars. So, when (not if) you end up needing care, your dental benefits will only get you so far.

Most dental insurance plans have a $1500 annual maximum. This means if you get two teeth cleanings per year and a filling or two, you’ve maxed out your dental benefits until your plan renews.

Healthcare is considered (by some schmuck who developed the system) to be a completely separate entity from dental care.

This would only make sense if your mouth was not intimately intertwined with the rest of your body.

Thank God we don’t have to buy car insurance and a separate plan for the steering wheel, right?

Assuming you have a PPO (more on that below), most plans follow a standard 100/80/50 rule.

Preventive procedures are covered at 100%

Basic care, such as fillings and root canals, are covered by the plan at 80%

Major services like crowns are covered at a 50% rate.

The majority of dental health plans also require you meet a $50 deductible before they contribute to basic or major services.

The cost of procedures is also not standardized. If you live in Arizona, your crown may cost hundreds of dollars less than a person getting the same type of crown in Boston.

If you go in for your bi-yearly cleaning and find out you need a root canal and crown, your benefits will certainly be maxed out for the rest of the year. You would be left with hundreds of dollars of out of pocket costs. 

That’s the opposite of medical insurance, which typically requires you pay only a small portion of costs after your deductible has been met.

For this reason, I think of dental insurance as more of a discount plan, rather than an insurance.

Finally, many dental insurance plans have waiting periods before certain work will be approved. Need orthodontic work? Your dental plan options may stipulate you be on their plan for six months before a dime can be paid out.

How Different Types of Dental Insurance Work

While they look very similar on the surface, the type of dental insurance you get will drastically impact how much you pay out of pocket. Some of them offer very little benefit to anyone other than the insurance company. Before you pick a plan, make sure you understand your options.

Medicare/Medicaid

Medicare and Medicaid are US taxpayer-funded health plans that require specific stipulations to be met in order to qualify. Instead of being run by a private insurance company, they’re controlled and regulated by a governmental agency called The Department of Health and Human Services.

Medicaid provides medical health coverage for some with low-income, families and children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

Sadly, dental services are limited and primarily covered only for those under the age of 21. 

Since each state is able to set their own coverage limits for those over 21, about half of states offer ONLY emergency dental visits and no preventive care, such as routine cleanings.

As a dentist, this greatly concerns me. Once you’re feeling pain, you’ve likely missed your window to prevent costly treatment—that’s why prevention is vital.

For children, Medicaid is quite comprehensive. However, this is where you have to use your best judgment when consenting to an overzealous dentist’s treatment requests.

I’ve come across a number of instances where parents agreed to treatment since it didn’t cost them anything out of pocket, only to find out later that it was unnecessary, or worse—not performed at all. I encourage my patients and readers to listen to their intuition when consenting to treatment and ask for a second opinion if they feel unsure.

You should be completely aware of what’s caused you or your child’s dental concerns and have multiple options for how to fix it.

Take your time looking over treatment plans and as many questions you need to feel confident in your decision.

A general rule of thumb is this: If you feel rushed into agreeing to a lot of treatment on the spot, seek a second opinion or wait until you’re able to ask all the questions you need to feel more comfortable.

Since it’s very uncommon for Medicaid procedures to be denied, having an understanding of your child’s needs is paramount. You should feel empowered to ask all the questions you need to understand their needs and how to improve their oral health in the future.

Medicare, on the other hand, is intended for those over 65 years old and are citizens or legal residents of the US, or people under 65 years old with a legally recognized disability.

This benefit primarily covers medical procedures and leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to your dental health. According to Medicare.gov, “You pay 100% for non-covered services, including most dental care.”

Unfortunately, the connection between your mouth and the rest of your body seems to be lost in this system of care. 

Medicare and Medicaid are not dental insurance plans in the commonly understood form. Your dentist MUST be in-network, so for adults, you could be in for quite the search.

Think of these more as bare minimum entitlements that can come in handy, but with some kinks to work out. If you’re on Medicare, you may want to consider a supplemental plan to help prevent a dental emergency in addition to your regular coverage.

HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations)

HMO’s look great on their face!

If you’ve ever started a new job and the HR Coordinator sat you down to show you your dental insurance options, you’ve probably been tempted to check the HMO box.

After all, HMOs are so much more affordable…Right? 

Satisfaction with an HMO is, sadly, very uncommon. People who speak positively of their HMO experience typically didn’t use their insurance plan.

The way a dental HMO plans like Deltacare USA work is through a “capitation” system.

To receive care, you have to choose an in-network dentist. This means the dentist has agreed to sign a contract with your insurance company in exchange for being assigned a list of patients who can only use them for dental care.

Each month, that network dentist will be sent a check for a few bucks for each name on that list, regardless if they walk through the door or not. 

In the case that you do make an appointment for preventive services (hopefully at least twice per year), your out of pocket cost will be pretty low. However, the dentist is also very poorly compensated for this type of appointment, only making a few dollars for a cleaning, exam, and x-rays.

This type of reimbursement would not even cover the cost of materials used. Dentists may then resort to charting more extensive treatment for issues that may be addressed in a more conservative manner. (If you think this sounds sketchy, you would be correct.)

For example, say you plan to only take advantage of routine cleanings to prevent decay and plaque build up. During this visit, your dentist or hygienist may find areas of concern that the typical dentist may think needs a filling.

Since s/he needs to make money to keep the doors open, you may find yourself with a root canal on your treatment plan instead of a filling. And since you need a root canal, a crown is also necessary to regain your tooth structure.

While this would be bad enough without the dishonesty factor, an HMO plan would pay VERY little of your procedure.

This may leave you with hundreds of dollars of expenses out of your own pocket.

The HMO system is great if you don’t need it, or if you follow my nutritional recommendations to keep stop decay before it starts. The monthly costs are minimal, and as long as you don’t need any additional treatment, you will probably be quite happy.

PPO (Preferred Provider Organization)

The other option you may see from your HR Coordinator is likely a PPO plan. This plan is a more expensive option that’s often overlooked, but once you dig a little deeper and see the complete details, you’ll find PPOs generally cost less in the long run.

Similar to an HMO, a network of dentists is available for your dental care where coverage is least expensive. A PPO plan costs more per month, but if you end up needing dental treatment, you’ll see the savings are well worth the monthly cost when compared to an HMO plan.

For example, if you end up needing a crown, your PPO plan will likely cover 50% of your crown as opposed to about 10% or less on an HMO plan. 

If you add up all the money you’ve saved on the monthly premium and added it to your out of pocket costs, you’re very unlikely to come out on the good side of the equation if you had chosen an HMO.

This option is much preferred if you may need more extensive treatment than just preventative cleanings. And, although it’s a sad way to think about it, you’ll be somewhat less likely to get ripped off at the dentist because your dentist is also being paid more fairly.

Delta Dental PPO is one of the largest PPO networks available to employers in the US. If this is an option for you, it means you’ve got the largest network of dentists from which to choose.

Marketplace (Obamacare)

The Marketplace is a month-to-month dental insurance plan that has more stipulations than a traditional public insurance plan. In my experience, unless you are eligible for a tax credit based on income, they are not necessarily less expensive, however.

In order to use your Obamacare coverage, you must use a dentist that is part of their preferred provider network, and there is no coverage for out of network providers.

I’ve found that how many providers you’ll have to choose from depends on where you’re located. If you’re in New York, for example, your ability to find a provider may be easier than in a rural community with only a few dentists to choose from.

On a positive note, there are plenty of plans to choose from that are managed by common insurance companies that you would recognize, including Cigna, Guardian, and Humana.

While they are big names in the medical insurance system, their dental insurance networks are on the smaller side. Before picking a plan, it’s best to ask to see the full details, including in network dentists and exclusions.

Supplemental Dental

If your spouse is also offered dental coverage through their employer, you can join each other’s plans as a secondary insurance.

Supplemental plans are even more intricate than primary ones, but some can end up saving you most (if not all) of your out of pocket expenses.

However, since they’re notoriously difficult to estimate ahead of time, I’d recommend budgeting as if the 2nd plan will pay nothing. That way, you’ll have a pleasant surprise when they cover more than you expected!

4 Hacks for Affordable Dental Insurance

1. Ask your dental office if they accept bento dental.

If they don’t, encourage them to sign up! I’ve been using it for my own employees and have been quite impressed with the financial savings and ease to use.

Bento Dental is a modern alternative to traditional dental insurance. Their network of 90,000+ dentists can join at no cost.

As a private user of Bento Dental, you pay a 7% fee for services through the Bento app. However, the benefits include:

Flags for procedures that don’t match up with your records: This kind of oversight from insurance companies is one way to avoid getting ripped off or overcharged.

Guaranteed pricing: Dentists in the Bento network commit to pricing that matches many major employer dental insurance plans. This is important, because if you’re going to a dentist out of your normal dental network, there’s no guarantee whatsoever that you’ll pay a fair price.

See your cost before your visit: The Bento app shows you the cost for any scheduled procedures before you go in the office so you don’t get taken off guard by a massive bill.

Your employer can also purchase Bento Dental for you and your co-workers at only $5/person per month, which saves you the 7% cost fee you’d otherwise pay. Plus, employers can individually customize Bento plans to match whatever coverage they choose.

Bento is a great alternative for people with no dental insurance, too, since they offer many of the benefits of an insurance plan that will help you save money.

2. Customize your plan to remove coverages that you don’t need. 

It may save you some dough—often, plans include extra coverages you may never use. Removing these can save you on monthly premiums.

3. Look into joining your spouse’s plan as a secondary insurance. 

It’s very difficult to estimate benefits ahead of time when using two insurance plans, but they’re generally very helpful if you end up needing treatment. I’ve even seen some patients pay nothing out of pocket for extensive treatment using supplementary insurance this way!

4. Talk with your HR Coordinator to find out if your company offers HSA or FSA accounts.

These are accounts that you and/or your employer can contribute to for unforeseen health care expenses. The money will be put into an account monthly before taxes are withheld, making your tax burden less. Plus your out of pocket contributions go further.

For example, if you choose to contribute $100/month into your HSA ($1200/year), you’ll have $1200 available to you on the first day and your contribution will be taken out of your paycheck.

It’s somewhat like getting a negative interest loan (costs less than you borrow) that you don’t have to qualify for and you can use on health care expenses. It’s not limited to dental care, but might be a great alternative when you need extensive treatment not otherwise covered by traditional dental insurance.

The Best Dental Insurance Plans [2019]

The best dental insurance plans actually depends on how much dental intervention you’ll end up needing.

My best recommendation is always to avoid cavities by working on your nutrition. Since cavities turn into the need for fillings, crowns, root canals and extractions, prevention is the best chance of oral and overall health. 

If you end up needing dental treatment, and do not have savings to cover the costs, choose a plan that works best for your dental needs and budget.

PPOs are more comprehensive but also cost more upfront, while HMOs cost very little monthly and provide very little coverage as well.

Medicare/Medicaid and Marketplace plans are incredibly limited in scope and coverage, so these kinds of dental insurance should be used only if no other option is available.

A supplemental dental plan can help cover costs if you and your spouse both have accessibility to dental insurance.

Delta Dental is the largest dental insurance provider in the US. Their network contains more than 190,000 dentists, which allows them to keep prices low—theirs is the lowest fee schedule.

As a general rule, the larger the insurance company, the less you’ll have to pay for your treatment. Large companies like UnitedHealthOne, Humana, Cigna, and Ameritas all offer reasonable in-network pricing for PPO plans.

The most important thing to know about dental insurance, no matter the company, is that all plans have a very small maximum payout (usually between $750-2000 per year). 

If you need major work (orthodontics, bridges, root canal and crown, etc.), expect to be left with a significant cost after insurance has paid out. In these cases, an HSA or FSA is probably a good alternative to save that money if you can.

Look into Bento Dental. They offer employer plans as well as individual plans that cost nothing unless you end up needing dental services. I’ve been using it for my employees and it’s a great way to save us both some money on group plans.

Bento works similar to the big insurance companies, except you don’t pay monthly premiums but you still get access to the discounts that dentist’s give their “in network” patients. In many cases, this comes out to the same you might pay with a huge company like Delta. This saves an average of 30% for most procedures.

One thing I like about it is their mobile app. It’s simple to understand, and if you sign up as an individual, you only pay if you end up using their service. Think of it like the Uber of dental insurance.

Dental Insurance for Seniors

Dental insurance for seniors is an important topic that has been put on the backburner in our healthcare system for some time.

As we age, gum disease becomes more prevalent and in turn our health suffers. Since gum disease is linked to Alzheimers, diabetes, heart disease, and more, it’s important to keep up with your oral health into your golden years.

Its best to consider a supplemental plan, margarita fund, or Bento Dental since you’ll need to keep up with your preventive services and it’s likely you’ll need dental treatment at some point. But as always- prevention is your best defense against painful and expensive dental work.

Should I get dental insurance?

Having some form of dental coverage is the best decision for most. If you’re self paid at any doctors office, including a dental practice, there’s no guarantee you’ll be charged fair prices.

“In network” patients save an average of 30% over patients with no coverage.

For this reason alone, it’s a great idea to have coverage if it’s available to you. However, if you’re good at saving your money and don’t want to pay monthly premiums, there are alternatives out there that get you the network rates without being tied down to yet another monthly bill.

Remember, dental “insurance” is truly more of a discount plan to keep up with preventative care. All conventional dental insurance plans cover just a small portion of what you might pay for extensive work.

People who benefit most from the savings from dental insurance include:

Employees with very low-cost insurance options (preferably for PPO plans)

Children who qualify for Medicare and need regular preventative care

Those with access to an HMO plan who are able to keep additional funds in a savings account, FSA, or HSA for dental care (since the HMO will cover very little)

People who need a great deal of dental work in the next 1-2 years and want to save some of the up front cost

If, on the other hand, you fit in one of the categories below, joining Bento Dental and foregoing normal dental insurance might be the best route:

Employees who can afford to save money in a savings account, FSA, or HSA for dental care

Self-employed individuals

Those who follow proper nutrition and habits to prevent cavities and gum disease

Anyone looking to save on a dental insurance premium who only needs bi-yearly cleanings and no major work

Employees not offered dental benefits

FAQs on Dental Insurance

Q:

Which is the best dental insurance to choose?

A: The best pan to choose really depends on your particular situation. What you eat, your current dental health, and your financial situation all play a role into which option is best for you.

Q:

Do I need dental insurance?

A: Do you follow a strict oral health supporting diet like the Paleo diet, make sure you get the proper nutrition, and implement a savings plan for unforeseen dental procedures?

In that case, you will likely have no problem skipping a traditional “dental insurance” plan and opting for something like Bento Dental instead.

Q:

If I end up needing treatment, will I know how much my out of pocket costs will be ahead of time?

A: With some plans, it’s possible to submit a “pre-authorization” before you get any treatment done. In my experience, this is not without its risks.

I’ve seen numerous times where an “approved” treatment was completed, only to find out that the insurance policies “changed,” which raised the patients out of pocket contribution.

Additionally, waiting for pre-authorization to be completed by an insurance company can take weeks, which can cause unnecessary pain and risk to the patient.

It’s best to read your policy thoroughly and consult with your dental office’s insurance coordinator for their expertise. S/he works with insurance companies day in and day out and knows how to decipher your plan to offer valuable insight into your options.

Key Takeaways: Dental Insurance

Dental insurance, like health insurance, is a broken system that many times negates the pursuit of health altogether. However, it’s beneficial in the unfortunate case you need costly treatment.

Your best option is to become intimately informed about your plan’s limitations and take advantage of every prevention measure available to you, including reversing and preventing cavities naturally.

Got more questions on dental insurance? Send me an email at angela@askthedentist.com!

Read Next: No dental insurance? Here’s what to do.

The post The Real Cost of Dental Insurance: Best Plans, Myths, and Benefits [2019] appeared first on Ask the Dentist.

from Ask the Dentist https://askthedentist.com/dental-insurance/

[koffeehouse]

Hey em, what's some of your favorite books and why? I've been looking for new things to read and I figured I should ask you because you seem like a wonderful person and you always have amazing answers for everyone. Hope you're having a good day, if not, I hope it gets better🌻🌻🌻

Gah, this was so sweet, I fucking love you guys, y’know that? Thank you, first off, I just...like helping you guys and talking to you, and I’ve had quite the relaxed day myself, I hope you’ve had a good day as well! Fair warning, I’m such a book nerd so this list might be a little lengthy, I can’t help myself from going to a bookstore bi-weekly and dropping hundreds of dollars on books. They’re my aesthetic, but I digress!

Harry Potter series by JK Rowling: A classic. I grew up on this series, think the first book I read was Goblet of Fire (after a fun birthday party to go see the movie when I was like, 7) and I devoured them, there’s something just so special about those books that I can’t put my finger on and I’ll love them forever. It was probably the first book series I ever truly fell in love with, so that holds a special place in my heart as well, and Hermione Granger was the first character in books I found myself actually being able to relate to? So yeah.

The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins: Another fun book series that has my heart. God, I can’t even begin to tell you how grateful I am for these books - once again, saw the movie first (in my defense, I had the book and just wasn’t really prompted to get past chapter 3 until coming home from the movie) and then went through the whole series in 48 hours. My copy of THG 1 is so battered, it deserves more. But yeah, this series was one I got so invested in, I fell in love with literally all the characters, it was what prompted me to even join Tumblr in the first place, what got me seriously writing, where I met 95% of my closest friends to this date, etc. etc. etc. I love it.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell: I impulsively bought this at an airport and read it all before I even boarded my plane. I find it a little irritating how books and such nowadays encapsulate ‘the fangirl’ because it’s completely off and Rainbow does such a good job of nailing it, especially the fanfiction writer aspect of the story, the way she did it made it feel real and relatable and it honestly felt like someone who was a native fanfiction writer went and wrote that story themselves. Beautifully done. Such a cute read.

The Illuminae Saga by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff: I could literally sing my praises about this series all the live-long day, but I’ll try to contain myself. It was on my List for awhile (I have a whole note in my phone dedicated to books I want to buy) but I was so iffy about spending twenty bucks on a book, so I waited to get the first one for Christmas this past year. Personally, I love the style of a traditional book and a lot of times when people venture beyond that traditional format it’s either a huge hit or a huge miss (most of them miss) but this was absolutely perfect. The story lines are intricate, funny, heartbreaking, headache-inducing, action-packed, everything I look for in a novel and it just stuck with me. I happily had no issue dropping 20 bucks a piece for the hardbacks because they’re beautiful.

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks: Back in the day, I would have done literally anything for Miley Cyrus, and buying this book was one of them. I ended up falling in love with it beyond the whole “Oh my god MILEY” reasons I had to begin with; I’m not the biggest fan of romance novels, to be quite honest? Nowadays I like a story beyond just two people falling in love (despite that being all I used to write) but the characters, the twists, the setting, all of it reminds me of a simpler time in my life and I just love the vibes that story gives me. 

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: Holy shit. Okay, so if there’s one thing you gotta know about me, it’s that I’m fascinated with WWII. Easily my favorite part of history, it interests me more than any other point in time and if I’m gonna read historical fiction, it’s gonna take place during, SURPRISE, WWII. I wound up watching the movie for this first because it landed on my radar first and y’all...it’s such a good thing I watched it illegally because I was sitting in my chair bawling my eyes out, and the book was no different. It’s such a powerful, powerful story, the POV is absolutely genius, the way Markus writes just in general is amazing...god. If you’ve never read this book, do yourself a favor and do it.

Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas: This book confused the actual living hell out of me, to be quite honest, but that’s the effect the author wants you to have. Nothing I love more than a book that’s gonna make me question my whole life. I love true crime-related/inspired things, and this book got on my radar after finishing a different book that was inspired by the Amanda Knox case that didn’t leave me satisfied enough. I love a good book with a plot twist, and this one had me scrambling the whole time, I actually had to go back and read it again because it gave me such a headache. Truly a good one, finished it in one sitting.

The Silence of Six by E.C. Myers: My most recent finish, and I had to finish reading it in one sitting because the longer it sat on my brain, the more terrified I was. This book honestly had my hairs standing up reading through it, some of the stuff in the book is stuff that happens now and we’re totally oblivious to and it’s scary. It’s a thriller in every sense of the word, which usually isn’t my speed? I don’t enjoy being scared by media (horror movies are a hard no in my life) because I overthink everything and my anxiety rules me and I essentially freak myself out. But it appeals to my conspiracy-theory-loving self, so if you like conspiracy theories that kinda revolve around technology or the government, this is definitely one that you’ll enjoy. 

I’ve read so many books, to be real with you, especially over the last 9 months that we’d be here forever if I went through and named all the ones I had an affinity for, but I hope you find one here that you haven’t read and you give it a try! xx 

[kristinsimmons]

The Real Cost of Dental Insurance: Best Plans, Myths, and Benefits [2019]

On the search for a good dentist, it’s important to consider your dental insurance. Is s/he in your network? What will be covered? How much will you owe?

I worked for two dental offices as the office manager and was responsible for insurance billing and patient communication. And let me be the first to tell you—dental insurance (and all insurance, for that matter) is complicated.

That’s why I’m here to unravel all the myths, misconceptions, terminology, and coverage for you.

Whether you’re looking for a way to understand your current dental insurance plan, deciding which one to choose, or anything in between…I’ve got you covered.

(See what I did there?)

But first, let’s talk about what dental insurance really is—and what it’s not.

The True Cost of Dental Insurance [+ Common Myths]

The word “insurance” implies an understanding that you’ll be financially protected if the worst case scenario arises. However, you may not be aware that dental insurance is vastly different than most other insurance programs in place.

Unlike medical, life insurance, and home-owners insurance, dental coverage maximums are not hundreds of thousands of dollars. So, when (not if) you end up needing care, your dental benefits will only get you so far.

Most dental insurance plans have a $1500 annual maximum. This means if you get two teeth cleanings per year and a filling or two, you’ve maxed out your dental benefits until your plan renews.

Healthcare is considered (by some schmuck who developed the system) to be a completely separate entity from dental care.

This would only make sense if your mouth was not intimately intertwined with the rest of your body.

Thank God we don’t have to buy car insurance and a separate plan for the steering wheel, right?

Assuming you have a PPO (more on that below), most plans follow a standard 100/80/50 rule.

Preventive procedures are covered at 100%

Basic care, such as fillings and root canals, are covered by the plan at 80%

Major services like crowns are covered at a 50% rate.

The majority of dental health plans also require you meet a $50 deductible before they contribute to basic or major services.

The cost of procedures is also not standardized. If you live in Arizona, your crown may cost hundreds of dollars less than a person getting the same type of crown in Boston.

If you go in for your bi-yearly cleaning and find out you need a root canal and crown, your benefits will certainly be maxed out for the rest of the year. You would be left with hundreds of dollars of out of pocket costs. 

That’s the opposite of medical insurance, which typically requires you pay only a small portion of costs after your deductible has been met.

For this reason, I think of dental insurance as more of a discount plan, rather than an insurance.

Finally, many dental insurance plans have waiting periods before certain work will be approved. Need orthodontic work? Your dental plan options may stipulate you be on their plan for six months before a dime can be paid out.

How Different Types of Dental Insurance Work

While they look very similar on the surface, the type of dental insurance you get will drastically impact how much you pay out of pocket. Some of them offer very little benefit to anyone other than the insurance company. Before you pick a plan, make sure you understand your options.

Medicare/Medicaid

Medicare and Medicaid are US taxpayer-funded health plans that require specific stipulations to be met in order to qualify. Instead of being run by a private insurance company, they’re controlled and regulated by a governmental agency called The Department of Health and Human Services.

Medicaid provides medical health coverage for some with low-income, families and children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

Sadly, dental services are limited and primarily covered only for those under the age of 21. 

Since each state is able to set their own coverage limits for those over 21, about half of states offer ONLY emergency dental visits and no preventive care, such as routine cleanings.

As a dentist, this greatly concerns me. Once you’re feeling pain, you’ve likely missed your window to prevent costly treatment—that’s why prevention is vital.

For children, Medicaid is quite comprehensive. However, this is where you have to use your best judgment when consenting to an overzealous dentist’s treatment requests.

I’ve come across a number of instances where parents agreed to treatment since it didn’t cost them anything out of pocket, only to find out later that it was unnecessary, or worse—not performed at all. I encourage my patients and readers to listen to their intuition when consenting to treatment and ask for a second opinion if they feel unsure.

You should be completely aware of what’s caused you or your child’s dental concerns and have multiple options for how to fix it.

Take your time looking over treatment plans and as many questions you need to feel confident in your decision.

A general rule of thumb is this: If you feel rushed into agreeing to a lot of treatment on the spot, seek a second opinion or wait until you’re able to ask all the questions you need to feel more comfortable.

Since it’s very uncommon for Medicaid procedures to be denied, having an understanding of your child’s needs is paramount. You should feel empowered to ask all the questions you need to understand their needs and how to improve their oral health in the future.

Medicare, on the other hand, is intended for those over 65 years old and are citizens or legal residents of the US, or people under 65 years old with a legally recognized disability.

This benefit primarily covers medical procedures and leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to your dental health. According to Medicare.gov, “You pay 100% for non-covered services, including most dental care.”

Unfortunately, the connection between your mouth and the rest of your body seems to be lost in this system of care. 

Medicare and Medicaid are not dental insurance plans in the commonly understood form. Your dentist MUST be in-network, so for adults, you could be in for quite the search.

Think of these more as bare minimum entitlements that can come in handy, but with some kinks to work out. If you’re on Medicare, you may want to consider a supplemental plan to help prevent a dental emergency in addition to your regular coverage.

HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations)

HMO’s look great on their face!

If you’ve ever started a new job and the HR Coordinator sat you down to show you your dental insurance options, you’ve probably been tempted to check the HMO box.

After all, HMOs are so much more affordable…Right? 

Satisfaction with an HMO is, sadly, very uncommon. People who speak positively of their HMO experience typically didn’t use their insurance plan.

The way a dental HMO plans like Deltacare USA work is through a “capitation” system.

To receive care, you have to choose an in-network dentist. This means the dentist has agreed to sign a contract with your insurance company in exchange for being assigned a list of patients who can only use them for dental care.

Each month, that network dentist will be sent a check for a few bucks for each name on that list, regardless if they walk through the door or not. 

In the case that you do make an appointment for preventive services (hopefully at least twice per year), your out of pocket cost will be pretty low. However, the dentist is also very poorly compensated for this type of appointment, only making a few dollars for a cleaning, exam, and x-rays.

This type of reimbursement would not even cover the cost of materials used. Dentists may then resort to charting more extensive treatment for issues that may be addressed in a more conservative manner. (If you think this sounds sketchy, you would be correct.)

For example, say you plan to only take advantage of routine cleanings to prevent decay and plaque build up. During this visit, your dentist or hygienist may find areas of concern that the typical dentist may think needs a filling.

Since s/he needs to make money to keep the doors open, you may find yourself with a root canal on your treatment plan instead of a filling. And since you need a root canal, a crown is also necessary to regain your tooth structure.

While this would be bad enough without the dishonesty factor, an HMO plan would pay VERY little of your procedure.

This may leave you with hundreds of dollars of expenses out of your own pocket.

The HMO system is great if you don’t need it, or if you follow my nutritional recommendations to keep stop decay before it starts. The monthly costs are minimal, and as long as you don’t need any additional treatment, you will probably be quite happy.

PPO (Preferred Provider Organization)

The other option you may see from your HR Coordinator is likely a PPO plan. This plan is a more expensive option that’s often overlooked, but once you dig a little deeper and see the complete details, you’ll find PPOs generally cost less in the long run.

Similar to an HMO, a network of dentists is available for your dental care where coverage is least expensive. A PPO plan costs more per month, but if you end up needing dental treatment, you’ll see the savings are well worth the monthly cost when compared to an HMO plan.

For example, if you end up needing a crown, your PPO plan will likely cover 50% of your crown as opposed to about 10% or less on an HMO plan. 

If you add up all the money you’ve saved on the monthly premium and added it to your out of pocket costs, you’re very unlikely to come out on the good side of the equation if you had chosen an HMO.

This option is much preferred if you may need more extensive treatment than just preventative cleanings. And, although it’s a sad way to think about it, you’ll be somewhat less likely to get ripped off at the dentist because your dentist is also being paid more fairly.

Delta Dental PPO is one of the largest PPO networks available to employers in the US. If this is an option for you, it means you’ve got the largest network of dentists from which to choose.

Marketplace (Obamacare)

The Marketplace is a month-to-month dental insurance plan that has more stipulations than a traditional public insurance plan. In my experience, unless you are eligible for a tax credit based on income, they are not necessarily less expensive, however.

In order to use your Obamacare coverage, you must use a dentist that is part of their preferred provider network, and there is no coverage for out of network providers.

I’ve found that how many providers you’ll have to choose from depends on where you’re located. If you’re in New York, for example, your ability to find a provider may be easier than in a rural community with only a few dentists to choose from.

On a positive note, there are plenty of plans to choose from that are managed by common insurance companies that you would recognize, including Cigna, Guardian, and Humana.

While they are big names in the medical insurance system, their dental insurance networks are on the smaller side. Before picking a plan, it’s best to ask to see the full details, including in network dentists and exclusions.

Supplemental Dental

If your spouse is also offered dental coverage through their employer, you can join each other’s plans as a secondary insurance.

Supplemental plans are even more intricate than primary ones, but some can end up saving you most (if not all) of your out of pocket expenses.

However, since they’re notoriously difficult to estimate ahead of time, I’d recommend budgeting as if the 2nd plan will pay nothing. That way, you’ll have a pleasant surprise when they cover more than you expected!

4 Hacks for Affordable Dental Insurance

1. Ask your dental office if they accept Bento dental.

If they don’t, encourage them to sign up! I’ve been using it for my own employees and have been quite impressed with the financial savings and ease to use.

Bento Dental is a modern alternative to traditional dental insurance. Their network of 90,000+ dentists can join at no cost.

As a private user of Bento Dental, you pay a 7% fee for services through the Bento app. However, the benefits include:

Flags for procedures that don’t match up with your records: This kind of oversight from insurance companies is one way to avoid getting ripped off or overcharged.

Guaranteed pricing: Dentists in the Bento network commit to pricing that matches many major employer dental insurance plans. This is important, because if you’re going to a dentist out of your normal dental network, there’s no guarantee whatsoever that you’ll pay a fair price.

See your cost before your visit: The Bento app shows you the cost for any scheduled procedures before you go in the office so you don’t get taken off guard by a massive bill.

Your employer can also purchase Bento Dental for you and your co-workers at only $5/person per month, which saves you the 7% cost fee you’d otherwise pay. Plus, employers can individually customize Bento plans to match whatever coverage they choose.

Bento is a great alternative for people with no dental insurance, too, since they offer many of the benefits of an insurance plan that will help you save money.

2. Customize your plan to remove coverages that you don’t need. 

It may save you some dough—often, plans include extra coverages you may never use. Removing these can save you on monthly premiums.

3. Look into joining your spouse’s plan as a secondary insurance. 

It’s very difficult to estimate benefits ahead of time when using two insurance plans, but they’re generally very helpful if you end up needing treatment. I’ve even seen some patients pay nothing out of pocket for extensive treatment using supplementary insurance this way!

4. Talk with your HR Coordinator to find out if your company offers HSA or FSA accounts.

These are accounts that you and/or your employer can contribute to for unforeseen health care expenses. The money will be put into an account monthly before taxes are withheld, making your tax burden less. Plus your out of pocket contributions go further.

For example, if you choose to contribute $100/month into your HSA ($1200/year), you’ll have $1200 available to you on the first day and your contribution will be taken out of your paycheck.

It’s somewhat like getting a negative interest loan (costs less than you borrow) that you don’t have to qualify for and you can use on health care expenses. It’s not limited to dental care, but might be a great alternative when you need extensive treatment not otherwise covered by traditional dental insurance.

The Best Dental Insurance Plans [2019]

The best dental insurance plans actually depends on how much dental intervention you’ll end up needing.

My best recommendation is always to avoid cavities by working on your nutrition. Since cavities turn into the need for fillings, crowns, root canals and extractions, prevention is the best chance of oral and overall health. 

If you end up needing dental treatment, and do not have savings to cover the costs, choose a plan that works best for your dental needs and budget.

PPOs are more comprehensive but also cost more upfront, while HMOs cost very little monthly and provide very little coverage as well.

Medicare/Medicaid and Marketplace plans are incredibly limited in scope and coverage, so these kinds of dental insurance should be used only if no other option is available.

A supplemental dental plan can help cover costs if you and your spouse both have accessibility to dental insurance.

Delta Dental is the largest dental insurance provider in the US. Their network contains more than 190,000 dentists, which allows them to keep prices low—theirs is the lowest fee schedule.

As a general rule, the larger the insurance company, the less you’ll have to pay for your treatment. Large companies like UnitedHealthOne, Humana, Cigna, and Ameritas all offer reasonable in-network pricing for PPO plans.

The most important thing to know about dental insurance, no matter the company, is that all plans have a very small maximum payout (usually between $750-2000 per year). 

If you need major work (orthodontics, bridges, root canal and crown, etc.), expect to be left with a significant cost after insurance has paid out. In these cases, an HSA or FSA is probably a good alternative to save that money if you can.

Look into Bento Dental. They offer employer plans as well as individual plans that cost nothing unless you end up needing dental services. I’ve been using it for my employees and it’s a great way to save us both some money on group plans.

Bento works similar to the big insurance companies, except you don’t pay monthly premiums but you still get access to the discounts that dentist’s give their “in network” patients. In many cases, this comes out to the same you might pay with a huge company like Delta. This saves an average of 30% for most procedures.

One thing I like about it is their mobile app. It’s simple to understand, and if you sign up as an individual, you only pay if you end up using their service. Think of it like the Uber of dental insurance.

Dental Insurance for Seniors

Dental insurance for seniors is an important topic that has been put on the backburner in our healthcare system for some time.

As we age, gum disease becomes more prevalent and in turn our health suffers. Since gum disease is linked to Alzheimers, diabetes, heart disease, and more, it’s important to keep up with your oral health into your golden years.

Its best to consider a supplemental plan, margarita fund, or Bento Dental since you’ll need to keep up with your preventive services and it’s likely you’ll need dental treatment at some point. But as always- prevention is your best defense against painful and expensive dental work.

Should I get dental insurance?

Having some form of dental coverage is the best decision for most. If you’re self paid at any doctors office, including a dental practice, there’s no guarantee you’ll be charged fair prices.

“In network” patients save an average of 30% over patients with no coverage.

For this reason alone, it’s a great idea to have coverage if it’s available to you. However, if you’re good at saving your money and don’t want to pay monthly premiums, there are alternatives out there that get you the network rates without being tied down to yet another monthly bill.

Remember, dental “insurance” is truly more of a discount plan to keep up with preventative care. All conventional dental insurance plans cover just a small portion of what you might pay for extensive work.

People who benefit most from the savings from dental insurance include:

Employees with very low-cost insurance options (preferably for PPO plans)

Children who qualify for Medicare and need regular preventative care

Those with access to an HMO plan who are able to keep additional funds in a savings account, FSA, or HSA for dental care (since the HMO will cover very little)

People who need a great deal of dental work in the next 1-2 years and want to save some of the up front cost

If, on the other hand, you fit in one of the categories below, joining Bento Dental and foregoing normal dental insurance might be the best route:

Employees who can afford to save money in a savings account, FSA, or HSA for dental care

Self-employed individuals

Those who follow proper nutrition and habits to prevent cavities and gum disease

Anyone looking to save on a dental insurance premium who only needs bi-yearly cleanings and no major work

Employees not offered dental benefits

FAQs on Dental Insurance

Q:

Which is the best dental insurance to choose?

A: The best pan to choose really depends on your particular situation. What you eat, your current dental health, and your financial situation all play a role into which option is best for you.

Q:

Do I need dental insurance?

A: Do you follow a strict oral health supporting diet like the Paleo diet, make sure you get the proper nutrition, and implement a savings plan for unforeseen dental procedures?

In that case, you will likely have no problem skipping a traditional “dental insurance” plan and opting for something like Bento Dental instead.

Q:

If I end up needing treatment, will I know how much my out of pocket costs will be ahead of time?

A: With some plans, it’s possible to submit a “pre-authorization” before you get any treatment done. In my experience, this is not without its risks.

I’ve seen numerous times where an “approved” treatment was completed, only to find out that the insurance policies “changed,” which raised the patients out of pocket contribution.

Additionally, waiting for pre-authorization to be completed by an insurance company can take weeks, which can cause unnecessary pain and risk to the patient.

It’s best to read your policy thoroughly and consult with your dental office’s insurance coordinator for their expertise. S/he works with insurance companies day in and day out and knows how to decipher your plan to offer valuable insight into your options.

Key Takeaways: Dental Insurance

Dental insurance, like health insurance, is a broken system that many times negates the pursuit of health altogether. However, it’s beneficial in the unfortunate case you need costly treatment.

Your best option is to become intimately informed about your plan’s limitations and take advantage of every prevention measure available to you, including reversing and preventing cavities naturally.

Got more questions on dental insurance? Send me an email at angela@askthedentist.com!

Read Next: No dental insurance? Here’s what to do.

The post The Real Cost of Dental Insurance: Best Plans, Myths, and Benefits [2019] appeared first on Ask the Dentist.

The Real Cost of Dental Insurance: Best Plans, Myths, and Benefits [2019] published first on https://wittooth.tumblr.com/

[heliosfinance]

Do You Include Pensions in Your Net Worth? How About Art, Insurance, Homes, Cats, Baseball Cards?

What do you include in your net worth? What *don’t* you include?

This is probably the 3rd most popular question I get asked, outside of “Is J. Money your real name?” (Yes) and “how did you get so damn sexy??” (I don’t know, it just comes natural! ;))

So today I thought I’d list out my personal feelings on it, and then everyone can chime in and let me know if they think I’m a big fat idiot or not. Although the reality is that we’d all be wrong, because:

THERE IS NO WRONG WAY TO TRACK IT!

Okay, well there is – you can’t call cash a “debt” or a loan an “asset” – but everyone here is smart enough to not mess that up, so what we’re really talking about here are all those *gray areas* that come into play. The stuff that might or might not belong in your wealth, but you just can’t tell and want an extra set of eyes on it.

So today, I’ll be your eyes :) And then you can take what you want from it…

Ultimately though, your net worth is only for you and your own goals/motivation, so as long as your tracking aligns with what you’re trying to get out of it all, then keep in mind you’re doing just fine!

Alright, so what belongs in your net worth and what does not?

Here are my thoughts… And keep in mind that I personally track my net worth to get an *overall snapshot* of where all my money/major property is at any given point in time. I don’t care about liquid vs not liquid assets, or taxable vs not taxable, or any other more specific ways to track wealth (cash flow/retirement/etc – those are for other spreadsheets). There are a thousand different ways to track this stuff, so again go w/ the route that makes the most sense for your situation!

What I think belongs in your net worth and what I think doesn’t:

********

Cash: Yes. Cash = money = wealth = asset!

Investments (stocks, bonds, cds): Yes. Investments are literally investments!

Retirement Accounts (401(k), IRA, TSP, SEP, 403(b)): Yes! Now it may be worth noting which accounts are pre-tax and which are after-tax, as that will certainly matter as time goes on – especially for cash-flow/retirement purposes, but rarely do I see these guys not listed in at least *some* form of wealth tracking reports.

Stock Options: No. Options are worth diddly unless executed. Once you do execute them, however, then yes – all that $$$ goes right into net worth unless you blow it all on candy and gum drops (what are gum drops, btw?).

529 College Savings Accounts: Yes/No. It is technically $$$ you own, but it’s also earmarked for someone else to use later (usually, though you can also set up 529s for yourself), and at some point it’s all going to go out the window. So you can either keep it in your net worth now for an overall big-picture tracking, knowing its’ all going to be dumped out later, or you can just keep it out from the start, and then if you recoup any of it down the line just add it into your net worth at that point.

I used to include it in my own worth when we first started investing for Baby Penny, but after a few months (and asking y’all about it) I eventually moved it out as I just felt funny about it. I still track it though as you see in each net worth report, but I do so *outside* of my net worth section and just add it to another part of the spreadsheet since it’s still a big chunk of money to be watched over. So either way I think you’re fine with this one.

Income: Nope. It doesn’t matter how much you make or don’t make, what matters is *where it all goes* every month. If you use some of that income to save or invest or pick up property, then it’ll naturally be reflected in your net worth report once you do that! But if you spend every penny of it, then it doesn’t add a thing to your net worth, does it?

Pensions: Nope. See “income” above. Although, if I’m being completely honest here, I’ve never really looked into pensions to see exactly how they work because I’ll never see one in my day! (Millennial alert!). So definitely wise to seek outside consult on this one… If I’m understanding it correctly, however, it’s just another form of income like a paycheck would be, which in that case would be treated the same way as above (i.e. if you save any of it it’ll be reflected in savings in your net worth, but if you spend it all then it doesn’t!). All that said though, of course pensions are AWESOME and should still factor into your financial/retirement planning, it would just go into a different spreadsheet in my opinion.

Any readers here wanna chime in though with thoughts? Do you include your pensions in your net worth? If you do, how exactly do you track it? Just estimate what it’s worth as one lump sum?

Bonuses/tips/lottery winnings. Nope Nope Nope. Unless it’s converted to savings/investments as in the above, none of it matters!

Houses (that you live in): Yes. This one is a healthy debated topic in our industry, and I can see both sides, but to me if you own something that’s worth/costs hundreds of thousands of dollars and is one of the biggest expenses of your life, then yes – it belongs in your net worth. ESPECIALLY if there’s the other side to the equation here, i.e. mortgage(s)!

I’ve seen people list one side and not the other, but to me that totally tilts it either super optimistically or super conservatively, and in either case the balance is just way too off for my taste. A home may not be a true investment in terms of *earning you money*, however, it’s still a pretty huge piece to your financial puzzle. It would be hard to avoid when factoring in all your $$$.

Houses/property (that you don’t live in): Definite yes! Wherever you side on the home or no home equation, everyone can pretty much agree that rental and investment properties most definitely belong here. In these cases they all operate as mini businesses that take in income and spit out expenses, and again you need both sides of the equation here to fully appreciate the bigger picture.

Cars: Yes. An even hotter debated topic than homes, however again – large expenses/values to me should always be included, as well as their very large expenses on the other end. Out of everything I track though, this would be the one section I could see cutting if there was a gun to my head. (Although in that case I’d just give the gun holder the damn car!)

I should mention a word on *valuing* here.

While it takes 3.2 seconds to dig up your loans on any car or house, it’s a whole other ballgame with how you value them. Some people like to use a specific site or group of sites to formulate a good estimate, and there’s typically a slew of different ways out there, but as long as you keep *consistent* in your tracking every month it should be just fine.

I use KBB.com for tracking my cars’ values, and when I used to own a home I’d literally just ask my realtor and have him run comps every 6 or 12 months or so. I always found Zillow to be wayyyy too chaotic and unrealistic for my neighborhood, so I just went straight to the person who I felt could give me the best info. So while cars were updated monthly, and still are, my home was always bi-yearly or just once a year. You never really know its true value for sure though until the day you sell!

(And interesting to note, my realtor was only off by $500 by the time we sold our place… And of course I went through him for hooking me up with the info over the years ;))

Stuff in your house (furniture, clothes, decorations, toys). Nope, nope, nope. Smart to know roughly what you own and its general worth for reporting/insurance reasons (a good idea is to walk around the house video recording everything once a year!) but in terms of net worth specifically, I always cringe when I see this being tracked. Usually because the #’s always just seem so inflated as if they’re listing the *purchase* price of their things vs the actual *value*. Just because you paid $1,500 for your couch, doesn’t mean it’s still worth that!

So if including your things is important to you in net worth, I’d just be more conservative and do your best to put a more realistic value on them… Ask yourself what you’d list them on Craigslist or eBay for?

Art/Collectibles/Coins/Baseball Cards. No. Unless you’re hoarding some Picassos or Mickey Mantles or the 1783 Nova Constellatio “quint” silver coin (the very first U.S. coin minted!), it’s probably safe to keep them out of the wealth tracking here. Again, except for insurance purposes. It doesn’t change how valuable any of our stuff is, just that $$-wise a lot of this doesn’t “count” until it’s sold and you have the $$ in your hand. And that’s coming from someone with a hefty rare coin collection!

Jewelry. Nope. I treat it the same as “stuff” or “collectibles.” Unless we’re talking big bucks here ($20,000? $50,000?) I prefer to count it later once/if it’s sold… *if* being the key part.

Insurances. Nope. At least not term life insurance and other similar non-fancy-investment-mixed-plans that people seem to get ripped off by… Just like my desserts and vegetables, I prefer to keep my insurance and investments separate ;) But we already covered that in another post… In terms of net worth inclusion, again unless this pays out and you get gobs of cash that you then put into savings or investments or property, I don’t like to include it here.

Businesses/Blogs. No. This one is probably the trickiest of them all, and one that I can see both sides of. But, personally, I like to keep my business stuff completely separate from my personal stuff. This includes bank accounts, property, taxes, stock options/ownership, debts, you name it. Until something activates and it crosses over into my personal finances (paychecks, funds from selling a site/business), it all stays on opposite sides of town.

It’s not as nice as having everything in one spot, but to me it feels much better keeping my two lives separate. I’m also someone who enjoys “nice surprises” every now and then, so I’d much rather see an increase in my net worth *all at once* when things activate over, vs. it slowly growing over time. And especially with valuations on your businesses, which can fluctuate daily! (For the good or bad!)

This is how I see it anyways, but would love to hear thoughts from other business/blog owners on this? Do you all keep your businesses in your net worth or also separated out?

Quarterly tax money. Nope. This is another tricky area as your taxes can mix both personal and business worlds together, but over the years I’ve tended to just separate this out under my business accounts and pay all my quarterly taxes from there. Initially I tried accounting for it in my net worth for the first few months of self-employment, but wow was that miserable! You had three months of this account (savings) piled up and looking pretty, and then BAM – quarterly payment time and it all goes down to $0.00! The worst! :) A couple rounds of doing that and I was convinced it’s better to just keep it all separated vs. watching the yo-yo over the months, haha…

Loans: No. This is a strange one to put here, but seeing how when I first started tracking my money I used to include it myself, I figured I’ll just throw it out there in case others are doing the same thing… Don’t! While someone may *owe* you money and you’re hoping/convinced that you’ll get it back later, you never really know and better to count your chickens only after they’ve hatched. I think I’m 3 for 4 out of all the family loans I’ve given out of the years, but honestly if you can’t afford to lose the money you probably shouldn’t be loaning it out anyways.

(I’ve heard people say that the only “gift” people money when needed vs loaning it, and I always thought that was a cool – and selfless! – way to help someone :) Again, provided you can afford it!)

*******

Alright, I think that hits a lot of the gray areas?

Let me know if I missed anything, and I’ll go back and update this…

Also keep in mind – mainly when you’re trying to compare your own situation with others, because let’s be honest, we all do it! – there’s a TON of other variables that come into play with why someone might have a smaller or larger net worth than someone else.

Such as:

Age of the person

Whether they’re married or single (and if they’re tracking it separately or combined?)

How many kids they have

Where they live (ie. high cost of living or low cost of living?)

When they had their financial *epiphany*

Did they inherit anything?? (Nothing wrong with that, it’s awesome!, but of course it can affect your stockpile)

Their profession/goals/dreams

And lastly, a quick note which hopefully y’all already know by now:

Net Worth ≠ Self Worth

Yes we talk about $$$ every day here (because we’re a money blog!), and yes we obsess about numbers and our goals and dreams and being able to retire early so we can do whatever we want to in life (the whole point of money), but at the end of the day our net worth is only an indication of our dealings with money itself. Nothing else.

There are people with big hearts changing the world who are dirt poor, and then there are millionaires and billionaires who are complete dirt-bags (look at that play on words!). So do keep paying attention to it all, but also remember that it’s only one part to the equation of life. The rest is, well, actually living! And a good life is the best reward of all, right? :)

Now tell me what you think about all this! What did I forget or miss the mark on?

I’m hoping to make this THE post that I share with everyone in the future anytime I’m asked about this stuff again, so leave as many thoughts and opinions as y0u’d like as it’ll all help generations of future readers to come :) No pressure!

Thanks for reading the blog and making our community great.

***** PS: Cats. No, cats do not belong in your net worth.

Do You Include Pensions in Your Net Worth? How About Art, Insurance, Homes, Cats, Baseball Cards? published first on http://ift.tt/2ljLF4B

[fesahaawit]

Do You Include Pensions in Your Net Worth? How About Art, Insurance, Homes, Cats, Baseball Cards?

What do you include in your net worth? What *don’t* you include?

This is probably the 3rd most popular question I get asked, outside of “Is J. Money your real name?” (Yes) and “how did you get so damn sexy??” (I don’t know, it just comes natural! ;))

So today I thought I’d list out my personal feelings on it, and then everyone can chime in and let me know if they think I’m a big fat idiot or not. Although the reality is that we’d all be wrong, because:

THERE IS NO WRONG WAY TO TRACK IT!

Okay, well there is – you can’t call cash a “debt” or a loan an “asset” – but everyone here is smart enough to not mess that up, so what we’re really talking about here are all those *gray areas* that come into play. The stuff that might or might not belong in your wealth, but you just can’t tell and want an extra set of eyes on it.

So today, I’ll be your eyes :) And then you can take what you want from it…

Ultimately though, your net worth is only for you and your own goals/motivation, so as long as your tracking aligns with what you’re trying to get out of it all, then keep in mind you’re doing just fine!

Alright, so what belongs in your net worth and what does not?

Here are my thoughts… And keep in mind that I personally track my net worth to get an *overall snapshot* of where all my money/major property is at any given point in time. I don’t care about liquid vs not liquid assets, or taxable vs not taxable, or any other more specific ways to track wealth (cash flow/retirement/etc – those are for other spreadsheets). There are a thousand different ways to track this stuff, so again go w/ the route that makes the most sense for your situation!

What I think belongs in your net worth and what I think doesn’t:

********

Cash: Yes. Cash = money = wealth = asset!

Investments (stocks, bonds, cds): Yes. Investments are literally investments!

Retirement Accounts (401(k), IRA, TSP, SEP, 403(b)): Yes! Now it may be worth noting which accounts are pre-tax and which are after-tax, as that will certainly matter as time goes on – especially for cash-flow/retirement purposes, but rarely do I see these guys not listed in at least *some* form of wealth tracking reports.

Stock Options: No. Options are worth diddly unless executed. Once you do execute them, however, then yes – all that $$$ goes right into net worth unless you blow it all on candy and gum drops (what are gum drops, btw?).

529 College Savings Accounts: Yes/No. It is technically $$$ you own, but it’s also earmarked for someone else to use later (usually, though you can also set up 529s for yourself), and at some point it’s all going to go out the window. So you can either keep it in your net worth now for an overall big-picture tracking, knowing its’ all going to be dumped out later, or you can just keep it out from the start, and then if you recoup any of it down the line just add it into your net worth at that point.

I used to include it in my own worth when we first started investing for Baby Penny, but after a few months (and asking y’all about it) I eventually moved it out as I just felt funny about it. I still track it though as you see in each net worth report, but I do so *outside* of my net worth section and just add it to another part of the spreadsheet since it’s still a big chunk of money to be watched over. So either way I think you’re fine with this one.

Income: Nope. It doesn’t matter how much you make or don’t make, what matters is *where it all goes* every month. If you use some of that income to save or invest or pick up property, then it’ll naturally be reflected in your net worth report once you do that! But if you spend every penny of it, then it doesn’t add a thing to your net worth, does it?

Pensions: Nope. See “income” above. Although, if I’m being completely honest here, I’ve never really looked into pensions to see exactly how they work because I’ll never see one in my day! (Millennial alert!). So definitely wise to seek outside consult on this one… If I’m understanding it correctly, however, it’s just another form of income like a paycheck would be, which in that case would be treated the same way as above (i.e. if you save any of it it’ll be reflected in savings in your net worth, but if you spend it all then it doesn’t!). All that said though, of course pensions are AWESOME and should still factor into your financial/retirement planning, it would just go into a different spreadsheet in my opinion.

Any readers here wanna chime in though with thoughts? Do you include your pensions in your net worth? If you do, how exactly do you track it? Just estimate what it’s worth as one lump sum?

Bonuses/tips/lottery winnings. Nope Nope Nope. Unless it’s converted to savings/investments as in the above, none of it matters!

Houses (that you live in): Yes. This one is a healthy debated topic in our industry, and I can see both sides, but to me if you own something that’s worth/costs hundreds of thousands of dollars and is one of the biggest expenses of your life, then yes – it belongs in your net worth. ESPECIALLY if there’s the other side to the equation here, i.e. mortgage(s)!

I’ve seen people list one side and not the other, but to me that totally tilts it either super optimistically or super conservatively, and in either case the balance is just way too off for my taste. A home may not be a true investment in terms of *earning you money*, however, it’s still a pretty huge piece to your financial puzzle. It would be hard to avoid when factoring in all your $$$.

Houses/property (that you don’t live in): Definite yes! Wherever you side on the home or no home equation, everyone can pretty much agree that rental and investment properties most definitely belong here. In these cases they all operate as mini businesses that take in income and spit out expenses, and again you need both sides of the equation here to fully appreciate the bigger picture.

Cars: Yes. An even hotter debated topic than homes, however again – large expenses/values to me should always be included, as well as their very large expenses on the other end. Out of everything I track though, this would be the one section I could see cutting if there was a gun to my head. (Although in that case I’d just give the gun holder the damn car!)

I should mention a word on *valuing* here.

While it takes 3.2 seconds to dig up your loans on any car or house, it’s a whole other ballgame with how you value them. Some people like to use a specific site or group of sites to formulate a good estimate, and there’s typically a slew of different ways out there, but as long as you keep *consistent* in your tracking every month it should be just fine.

I use KBB.com for tracking my cars’ values, and when I used to own a home I’d literally just ask my realtor and have him run comps every 6 or 12 months or so. I always found Zillow to be wayyyy too chaotic and unrealistic for my neighborhood, so I just went straight to the person who I felt could give me the best info. So while cars were updated monthly, and still are, my home was always bi-yearly or just once a year. You never really know its true value for sure though until the day you sell!

(And interesting to note, my realtor was only off by $500 by the time we sold our place… And of course I went through him for hooking me up with the info over the years ;))

Stuff in your house (furniture, clothes, decorations, toys). Nope, nope, nope. Smart to know roughly what you own and its general worth for reporting/insurance reasons (a good idea is to walk around the house video recording everything once a year!) but in terms of net worth specifically, I always cringe when I see this being tracked. Usually because the #’s always just seem so inflated as if they’re listing the *purchase* price of their things vs the actual *value*. Just because you paid $1,500 for your couch, doesn’t mean it’s still worth that!

So if including your things is important to you in net worth, I’d just be more conservative and do your best to put a more realistic value on them… Ask yourself what you’d list them on Craigslist or eBay for?

Art/Collectibles/Coins/Baseball Cards. No. Unless you’re hoarding some Picassos or Mickey Mantles or the 1783 Nova Constellatio “quint” silver coin (the very first U.S. coin minted!), it’s probably safe to keep them out of the wealth tracking here. Again, except for insurance purposes. It doesn’t change how valuable any of our stuff is, just that $$-wise a lot of this doesn’t “count” until it’s sold and you have the $$ in your hand. And that’s coming from someone with a hefty rare coin collection!

Jewelry. Nope. I treat it the same as “stuff” or “collectibles.” Unless we’re talking big bucks here ($20,000? $50,000?) I prefer to count it later once/if it’s sold… *if* being the key part.

Insurances. Nope. At least not term life insurance and other similar non-fancy-investment-mixed-plans that people seem to get ripped off by… Just like my desserts and vegetables, I prefer to keep my insurance and investments separate ;) But we already covered that in another post… In terms of net worth inclusion, again unless this pays out and you get gobs of cash that you then put into savings or investments or property, I don’t like to include it here.

Businesses/Blogs. No. This one is probably the trickiest of them all, and one that I can see both sides of. But, personally, I like to keep my business stuff completely separate from my personal stuff. This includes bank accounts, property, taxes, stock options/ownership, debts, you name it. Until something activates and it crosses over into my personal finances (paychecks, funds from selling a site/business), it all stays on opposite sides of town.

It’s not as nice as having everything in one spot, but to me it feels much better keeping my two lives separate. I’m also someone who enjoys “nice surprises” every now and then, so I’d much rather see an increase in my net worth *all at once* when things activate over, vs. it slowly growing over time. And especially with valuations on your businesses, which can fluctuate daily! (For the good or bad!)

This is how I see it anyways, but would love to hear thoughts from other business/blog owners on this? Do you all keep your businesses in your net worth or also separated out?

Quarterly tax money. Nope. This is another tricky area as your taxes can mix both personal and business worlds together, but over the years I’ve tended to just separate this out under my business accounts and pay all my quarterly taxes from there. Initially I tried accounting for it in my net worth for the first few months of self-employment, but wow was that miserable! You had three months of this account (savings) piled up and looking pretty, and then BAM – quarterly payment time and it all goes down to $0.00! The worst! :) A couple rounds of doing that and I was convinced it’s better to just keep it all separated vs. watching the yo-yo over the months, haha…

Loans: No. This is a strange one to put here, but seeing how when I first started tracking my money I used to include it myself, I figured I’ll just throw it out there in case others are doing the same thing… Don’t! While someone may *owe* you money and you’re hoping/convinced that you’ll get it back later, you never really know and better to count your chickens only after they’ve hatched. I think I’m 3 for 4 out of all the family loans I’ve given out of the years, but honestly if you can’t afford to lose the money you probably shouldn’t be loaning it out anyways.

(I’ve heard people say that the only “gift” people money when needed vs loaning it, and I always thought that was a cool – and selfless! – way to help someone :) Again, provided you can afford it!)

*******

Alright, I think that hits a lot of the gray areas?

Let me know if I missed anything, and I’ll go back and update this…

Also keep in mind – mainly when you’re trying to compare your own situation with others, because let’s be honest, we all do it! – there’s a TON of other variables that come into play with why someone might have a smaller or larger net worth than someone else.

Such as:

Age of the person

Whether they’re married or single (and if they’re tracking it separately or combined?)

How many kids they have

Where they live (ie. high cost of living or low cost of living?)

When they had their financial *epiphany*

Did they inherit anything?? (Nothing wrong with that, it’s awesome!, but of course it can affect your stockpile)

Their profession/goals/dreams

And lastly, a quick note which hopefully y’all already know by now:

Net Worth ≠ Self Worth

Yes we talk about $$$ every day here (because we’re a money blog!), and yes we obsess about numbers and our goals and dreams and being able to retire early so we can do whatever we want to in life (the whole point of money), but at the end of the day our net worth is only an indication of our dealings with money itself. Nothing else.

There are people with big hearts changing the world who are dirt poor, and then there are millionaires and billionaires who are complete dirt-bags (look at that play on words!). So do keep paying attention to it all, but also remember that it’s only one part to the equation of life. The rest is, well, actually living! And a good life is the best reward of all, right? :)

Now tell me what you think about all this! What did I forget or miss the mark on?

I’m hoping to make this THE post that I share with everyone in the future anytime I’m asked about this stuff again, so leave as many thoughts and opinions as y0u’d like as it’ll all help generations of future readers to come :) No pressure!

Thanks for reading the blog and making our community great.

***** PS: Cats. No, cats do not belong in your net worth.

Do You Include Pensions in Your Net Worth? How About Art, Insurance, Homes, Cats, Baseball Cards? posted first on http://ift.tt/2lnwIdQ

[jaceeyasblog-blog]

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The Real Cost of Dental Insurance: Best Plans, Myths, and Benefits [2019]

On the search for a good dentist, it’s important to consider your dental insurance. Is s/he in your network? What will be covered? How much will you owe?

I worked for two dental offices as the office manager and was responsible for insurance billing and patient communication. And let me be the first to tell you—dental insurance (and all insurance, for that matter) is complicated.

That’s why I’m here to unravel all the myths, misconceptions, terminology, and coverage for you.

Whether you’re looking for a way to understand your current dental insurance plan, deciding which one to choose, or anything in between…I’ve got you covered.

(See what I did there?)

But first, let’s talk about what dental insurance really is—and what it’s not.

The True Cost of Dental Insurance [+ Common Myths]

The word “insurance” implies an understanding that you’ll be financially protected if the worst case scenario arises. However, you may not be aware that dental insurance is vastly different than most other insurance programs in place.

Unlike medical, life insurance, and home-owners insurance, dental coverage maximums are not hundreds of thousands of dollars. So, when (not if) you end up needing care, your dental benefits will only get you so far.

Most dental insurance plans have a $1500 annual maximum. This means if you get two teeth cleanings per year and a filling or two, you’ve maxed out your dental benefits until your plan renews.

Healthcare is considered (by some schmuck who developed the system) to be a completely separate entity from dental care.

This would only make sense if your mouth was not intimately intertwined with the rest of your body.

Thank God we don’t have to buy car insurance and a separate plan for the steering wheel, right?

Assuming you have a PPO (more on that below), most plans follow a standard 100/80/50 rule.

Preventive procedures are covered at 100%

Basic care, such as fillings and root canals, are covered by the plan at 80%

Major services like crowns are covered at a 50% rate.

The majority of dental health plans also require you meet a $50 deductible before they contribute to basic or major services.

The cost of procedures is also not standardized. If you live in Arizona, your crown may cost hundreds of dollars less than a person getting the same type of crown in Boston.

If you go in for your bi-yearly cleaning and find out you need a root canal and crown, your benefits will certainly be maxed out for the rest of the year. You would be left with hundreds of dollars of out of pocket costs. 

That’s the opposite of medical insurance, which typically requires you pay only a small portion of costs after your deductible has been met.

For this reason, I think of dental insurance as more of a discount plan, rather than an insurance.

Finally, many dental insurance plans have waiting periods before certain work will be approved. Need orthodontic work? Your dental plan options may stipulate you be on their plan for six months before a dime can be paid out.

How Different Types of Dental Insurance Work

While they look very similar on the surface, the type of dental insurance you get will drastically impact how much you pay out of pocket. Some of them offer very little benefit to anyone other than the insurance company. Before you pick a plan, make sure you understand your options.

Medicare/Medicaid

Medicare and Medicaid are US taxpayer-funded health plans that require specific stipulations to be met in order to qualify. Instead of being run by a private insurance company, they’re controlled and regulated by a governmental agency called The Department of Health and Human Services.

Medicaid provides medical health coverage for some with low-income, families and children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

Sadly, dental services are limited and primarily covered only for those under the age of 21. 

Since each state is able to set their own coverage limits for those over 21, about half of states offer ONLY emergency dental visits and no preventive care, such as routine cleanings.

As a dentist, this greatly concerns me. Once you’re feeling pain, you’ve likely missed your window to prevent costly treatment—that’s why prevention is vital.

For children, Medicaid is quite comprehensive. However, this is where you have to use your best judgment when consenting to an overzealous dentist’s treatment requests.

I’ve come across a number of instances where parents agreed to treatment since it didn’t cost them anything out of pocket, only to find out later that it was unnecessary, or worse—not performed at all. I encourage my patients and readers to listen to their intuition when consenting to treatment and ask for a second opinion if they feel unsure.

You should be completely aware of what’s caused you or your child’s dental concerns and have multiple options for how to fix it.

Take your time looking over treatment plans and as many questions you need to feel confident in your decision.

A general rule of thumb is this: If you feel rushed into agreeing to a lot of treatment on the spot, seek a second opinion or wait until you’re able to ask all the questions you need to feel more comfortable.

Since it’s very uncommon for Medicaid procedures to be denied, having an understanding of your child’s needs is paramount. You should feel empowered to ask all the questions you need to understand their needs and how to improve their oral health in the future.

Medicare, on the other hand, is intended for those over 65 years old and are citizens or legal residents of the US, or people under 65 years old with a legally recognized disability.

This benefit primarily covers medical procedures and leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to your dental health. According to Medicare.gov, “You pay 100% for non-covered services, including most dental care.”

Unfortunately, the connection between your mouth and the rest of your body seems to be lost in this system of care. 

Medicare and Medicaid are not dental insurance plans in the commonly understood form. Your dentist MUST be in-network, so for adults, you could be in for quite the search.

Think of these more as bare minimum entitlements that can come in handy, but with some kinks to work out. If you’re on Medicare, you may want to consider a supplemental plan to help prevent a dental emergency in addition to your regular coverage.

HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations)

HMO’s look great on their face!

If you’ve ever started a new job and the HR Coordinator sat you down to show you your dental insurance options, you’ve probably been tempted to check the HMO box.

After all, HMOs are so much more affordable…Right? 

Satisfaction with an HMO is, sadly, very uncommon. People who speak positively of their HMO experience typically didn’t use their insurance plan.

The way a dental HMO plans like Deltacare USA work is through a “capitation” system.

To receive care, you have to choose an in-network dentist. This means the dentist has agreed to sign a contract with your insurance company in exchange for being assigned a list of patients who can only use them for dental care.

Each month, that network dentist will be sent a check for a few bucks for each name on that list, regardless if they walk through the door or not. 

In the case that you do make an appointment for preventive services (hopefully at least twice per year), your out of pocket cost will be pretty low. However, the dentist is also very poorly compensated for this type of appointment, only making a few dollars for a cleaning, exam, and x-rays.

This type of reimbursement would not even cover the cost of materials used. Dentists may then resort to charting more extensive treatment for issues that may be addressed in a more conservative manner. (If you think this sounds sketchy, you would be correct.)

For example, say you plan to only take advantage of routine cleanings to prevent decay and plaque build up. During this visit, your dentist or hygienist may find areas of concern that the typical dentist may think needs a filling.

Since s/he needs to make money to keep the doors open, you may find yourself with a root canal on your treatment plan instead of a filling. And since you need a root canal, a crown is also necessary to regain your tooth structure.

While this would be bad enough without the dishonesty factor, an HMO plan would pay VERY little of your procedure.

This may leave you with hundreds of dollars of expenses out of your own pocket.

The HMO system is great if you don’t need it, or if you follow my nutritional recommendations to keep stop decay before it starts. The monthly costs are minimal, and as long as you don’t need any additional treatment, you will probably be quite happy.

PPO (Preferred Provider Organization)

The other option you may see from your HR Coordinator is likely a PPO plan. This plan is a more expensive option that’s often overlooked, but once you dig a little deeper and see the complete details, you’ll find PPOs generally cost less in the long run.

Similar to an HMO, a network of dentists is available for your dental care where coverage is least expensive. A PPO plan costs more per month, but if you end up needing dental treatment, you’ll see the savings are well worth the monthly cost when compared to an HMO plan.

For example, if you end up needing a crown, your PPO plan will likely cover 50% of your crown as opposed to about 10% or less on an HMO plan. 

If you add up all the money you’ve saved on the monthly premium and added it to your out of pocket costs, you’re very unlikely to come out on the good side of the equation if you had chosen an HMO.

This option is much preferred if you may need more extensive treatment than just preventative cleanings. And, although it’s a sad way to think about it, you’ll be somewhat less likely to get ripped off at the dentist because your dentist is also being paid more fairly.

Delta Dental PPO is one of the largest PPO networks available to employers in the US. If this is an option for you, it means you’ve got the largest network of dentists from which to choose.

Marketplace (Obamacare)

The Marketplace is a month-to-month dental insurance plan that has more stipulations than a traditional public insurance plan. In my experience, unless you are eligible for a tax credit based on income, they are not necessarily less expensive, however.

In order to use your Obamacare coverage, you must use a dentist that is part of their preferred provider network, and there is no coverage for out of network providers.

I’ve found that how many providers you’ll have to choose from depends on where you’re located. If you’re in New York, for example, your ability to find a provider may be easier than in a rural community with only a few dentists to choose from.

On a positive note, there are plenty of plans to choose from that are managed by common insurance companies that you would recognize, including Cigna, Guardian, and Humana.

While they are big names in the medical insurance system, their dental insurance networks are on the smaller side. Before picking a plan, it’s best to ask to see the full details, including in network dentists and exclusions.

Supplemental Dental

If your spouse is also offered dental coverage through their employer, you can join each other’s plans as a secondary insurance.

Supplemental plans are even more intricate than primary ones, but some can end up saving you most (if not all) of your out of pocket expenses.

However, since they’re notoriously difficult to estimate ahead of time, I’d recommend budgeting as if the 2nd plan will pay nothing. That way, you’ll have a pleasant surprise when they cover more than you expected!

4 Hacks for Affordable Dental Insurance

1. Ask your dental office if they accept Bento dental.

If they don’t, encourage them to sign up! I’ve been using it for my own employees and have been quite impressed with the financial savings and ease to use.

Bento Dental is a modern alternative to traditional dental insurance. Their network of 90,000+ dentists can join at no cost.

As a private user of Bento Dental, you pay a 7% fee for services through the Bento app. However, the benefits include:

Flags for procedures that don’t match up with your records: This kind of oversight from insurance companies is one way to avoid getting ripped off or overcharged.

Guaranteed pricing: Dentists in the Bento network commit to pricing that matches many major employer dental insurance plans. This is important, because if you’re going to a dentist out of your normal dental network, there’s no guarantee whatsoever that you’ll pay a fair price.

See your cost before your visit: The Bento app shows you the cost for any scheduled procedures before you go in the office so you don’t get taken off guard by a massive bill.

Your employer can also purchase Bento Dental for you and your co-workers at only $5/person per month, which saves you the 7% cost fee you’d otherwise pay. Plus, employers can individually customize Bento plans to match whatever coverage they choose.

Bento is a great alternative for people with no dental insurance, too, since they offer many of the benefits of an insurance plan that will help you save money.

2. Customize your plan to remove coverages that you don’t need. 

It may save you some dough—often, plans include extra coverages you may never use. Removing these can save you on monthly premiums.

3. Look into joining your spouse’s plan as a secondary insurance. 

It’s very difficult to estimate benefits ahead of time when using two insurance plans, but they’re generally very helpful if you end up needing treatment. I’ve even seen some patients pay nothing out of pocket for extensive treatment using supplementary insurance this way!

4. Talk with your HR Coordinator to find out if your company offers HSA or FSA accounts.

These are accounts that you and/or your employer can contribute to for unforeseen health care expenses. The money will be put into an account monthly before taxes are withheld, making your tax burden less. Plus your out of pocket contributions go further.

For example, if you choose to contribute $100/month into your HSA ($1200/year), you’ll have $1200 available to you on the first day and your contribution will be taken out of your paycheck.

It’s somewhat like getting a negative interest loan (costs less than you borrow) that you don’t have to qualify for and you can use on health care expenses. It’s not limited to dental care, but might be a great alternative when you need extensive treatment not otherwise covered by traditional dental insurance.

The Best Dental Insurance Plans [2019]

The best dental insurance plans actually depends on how much dental intervention you’ll end up needing.

My best recommendation is always to avoid cavities by working on your nutrition. Since cavities turn into the need for fillings, crowns, root canals and extractions, prevention is the best chance of oral and overall health. 

If you end up needing dental treatment, and do not have savings to cover the costs, choose a plan that works best for your dental needs and budget.

PPOs are more comprehensive but also cost more upfront, while HMOs cost very little monthly and provide very little coverage as well.

Medicare/Medicaid and Marketplace plans are incredibly limited in scope and coverage, so these kinds of dental insurance should be used only if no other option is available.

A supplemental dental plan can help cover costs if you and your spouse both have accessibility to dental insurance.

Delta Dental is the largest dental insurance provider in the US. Their network contains more than 190,000 dentists, which allows them to keep prices low—theirs is the lowest fee schedule.

As a general rule, the larger the insurance company, the less you’ll have to pay for your treatment. Large companies like UnitedHealthOne, Humana, Cigna, and Ameritas all offer reasonable in-network pricing for PPO plans.

The most important thing to know about dental insurance, no matter the company, is that all plans have a very small maximum payout (usually between $750-2000 per year). 

If you need major work (orthodontics, bridges, root canal and crown, etc.), expect to be left with a significant cost after insurance has paid out. In these cases, an HSA or FSA is probably a good alternative to save that money if you can.

Look into Bento Dental. They offer employer plans as well as individual plans that cost nothing unless you end up needing dental services. I’ve been using it for my employees and it’s a great way to save us both some money on group plans.

Bento works similar to the big insurance companies, except you don’t pay monthly premiums but you still get access to the discounts that dentist’s give their “in network” patients. In many cases, this comes out to the same you might pay with a huge company like Delta. This saves an average of 30% for most procedures.

One thing I like about it is their mobile app. It’s simple to understand, and if you sign up as an individual, you only pay if you end up using their service. Think of it like the Uber of dental insurance.

Dental Insurance for Seniors

Dental insurance for seniors is an important topic that has been put on the backburner in our healthcare system for some time.

As we age, gum disease becomes more prevalent and in turn our health suffers. Since gum disease is linked to Alzheimers, diabetes, heart disease, and more, it’s important to keep up with your oral health into your golden years.

Its best to consider a supplemental plan, margarita fund, or Bento Dental since you’ll need to keep up with your preventive services and it’s likely you’ll need dental treatment at some point. But as always- prevention is your best defense against painful and expensive dental work.

Should I get dental insurance?

Having some form of dental coverage is the best decision for most. If you’re self paid at any doctors office, including a dental practice, there’s no guarantee you’ll be charged fair prices.

“In network” patients save an average of 30% over patients with no coverage.

For this reason alone, it’s a great idea to have coverage if it’s available to you. However, if you’re good at saving your money and don’t want to pay monthly premiums, there are alternatives out there that get you the network rates without being tied down to yet another monthly bill.

Remember, dental “insurance” is truly more of a discount plan to keep up with preventative care. All conventional dental insurance plans cover just a small portion of what you might pay for extensive work.

People who benefit most from the savings from dental insurance include:

Employees with very low-cost insurance options (preferably for PPO plans)

Children who qualify for Medicare and need regular preventative care

Those with access to an HMO plan who are able to keep additional funds in a savings account, FSA, or HSA for dental care (since the HMO will cover very little)

People who need a great deal of dental work in the next 1-2 years and want to save some of the up front cost

If, on the other hand, you fit in one of the categories below, joining Bento Dental and foregoing normal dental insurance might be the best route:

Employees who can afford to save money in a savings account, FSA, or HSA for dental care

Self-employed individuals

Those who follow proper nutrition and habits to prevent cavities and gum disease

Anyone looking to save on a dental insurance premium who only needs bi-yearly cleanings and no major work

Employees not offered dental benefits

FAQs on Dental Insurance

Q:

Which is the best dental insurance to choose?

A: The best pan to choose really depends on your particular situation. What you eat, your current dental health, and your financial situation all play a role into which option is best for you.

Q:

Do I need dental insurance?

A: Do you follow a strict oral health supporting diet like the Paleo diet, make sure you get the proper nutrition, and implement a savings plan for unforeseen dental procedures?

In that case, you will likely have no problem skipping a traditional “dental insurance” plan and opting for something like Bento Dental instead.

Q:

If I end up needing treatment, will I know how much my out of pocket costs will be ahead of time?

A: With some plans, it’s possible to submit a “pre-authorization” before you get any treatment done. In my experience, this is not without its risks.

I’ve seen numerous times where an “approved” treatment was completed, only to find out that the insurance policies “changed,” which raised the patients out of pocket contribution.

Additionally, waiting for pre-authorization to be completed by an insurance company can take weeks, which can cause unnecessary pain and risk to the patient.

It’s best to read your policy thoroughly and consult with your dental office’s insurance coordinator for their expertise. S/he works with insurance companies day in and day out and knows how to decipher your plan to offer valuable insight into your options.

Key Takeaways: Dental Insurance

Dental insurance, like health insurance, is a broken system that many times negates the pursuit of health altogether. However, it’s beneficial in the unfortunate case you need costly treatment.

Your best option is to become intimately informed about your plan’s limitations and take advantage of every prevention measure available to you, including reversing and preventing cavities naturally.

Got more questions on dental insurance? Send me an email at angela@askthedentist.com!

Read Next: No dental insurance? Here’s what to do.

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