So recently I have stated in a previous post on this blog, I have finished up graduate school and now moved to a new area with a new job. My employer offers dental insurance. The dental plan turned out to be Metlife. On their website they allow you to select your type of plan either PPO or HMO (I have PPO) and you also enter in your zip code. Now I found a dentist listed as one of their preferred providers and one of my friends in the area recently went to him so I decided to give it a shot.
Unfortunately I didn’t find out the specifics of how much the new dentist would charge for a cleaning and exam which turned out to be $286.00. Metlife sent me a statement in the mail saying they would cover $97 of the $286 which leaves me responsible for $189. This is somewhat unreasonable as they are only picking up 34% of the visit. You would think that having dental insurance would offer a little more benefit and incentive to go twice a year for a cleaning/exam. I had no x-rays during my visit for clarification.
Now obviously I feel I am being charged a bit more than I should have been for the services rendered and Metlife did not nearly pick up the appropriate percentage they should have.
Looking around the internet, there appears to be a wide range of what people are paying for a dental cleaning and of course depends on where you live. Some people report paying as low as around $50 for a cleaning where as others have reported paying over $300.
So I am curious, if you remember/had your dentist clean your teeth recently, do you remember how much you were charged for the dental cleaning and how much the insurance paid (if you are lucky enough to have) ?
UPDATE: I never had to pay for the $189 dollars. It turns out Metlife (along with other insurance companies) have a contract rate of which it is agreed upon prior they will pay. So again although Metlife paid $97 of the total $286 that was billed, the dentist’s office I went to only ever received the $97 and never any more from myself.
Unfortunately, most people focus on price and insurance benefits.
You might think $50 is a screaming bargain, but it’s not if the job isn’t done properly. Not that paying more will guarantee any better quality.
Basically, you want the best job possible at a price yo can afford. The whole point is to stay healthy and keep your teeth.
Having everything covered by insurance is ideal, but dental plans are always being downgraded to save costs. Better to think of benefits as supplementary rather than full coverage.
Joe š
http://www.RoyalYorkDental.com
The cost of a cleaning varies depending on the amount of buildup above and below the gumline and therefore the time required to complete the procedure. You should check with your insurance provider, or ask the staff at your dental provider’s office to help you do this, and find out the limitations of your specific plan so you know exactly what they will and will not cover.
Also, clients can now have their teeth cleaned by an independent dental hygienist in some areas, and the fees in the dental hygiene fee guide are 10-25% lower than the dentist fee guide, depending on the service.
Totally agree with Joe. Do not focus on money, when you got problems with teeth. Focus on finding a good and trusted dentist (not necessarily expensive). I had a lot of problems with my teeth, before I changed my dentist.
Thanks for a nice post))
John
What a bizarre story. If I were you I’d ensure nothing was put on your credit report unless you’re sure Metlife took care of it. Moral of the story is do your due diligence with your dental insurance coverage before making appointments to find out whether and how much you may be out of pocket.