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It’s super fun and cool that dentistry is controlled by a cartel and we just let it happen out in the open. It is NOT insurance, because there is no risk poolin

It’s super fun and cool that dentistry is controlled by a cartel and we just let it happen out in the open. It is NOT insurance, because there is no risk pooling or coverage for adverse events. It’s just a payment plan that sets prices unilaterally.

shnock 3y ago
Are acute and not universal dental operations like a root canal, crown, abscess op not adverse events for which there can be risk pooling?
- callalex 3y ago
  They are, and that is not what Delta “insurance” covers.
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
  - quacker 3y ago
    I’m not sure why you say this. Maybe I don’t understand what you mean. I have Delta Dental through my employer’s benefits and it covers all the types of operations that I’d expect: preventive, endodontic, periodontic, orthodontic, prosthodontic, etc. If I need a root canal, it’s covered by Delta Dental (up to a point, given the deductible). If I chip a tooth, and get an inlay or onlay, that is covered. Is this not insurance? Why not?
    - calfuris 3y ago
      Where I live, Delta offers a plan that essentially provides a set price list for various procedures as long as you are in network. Perhaps the person you're replying to has run into that plan and didn't realize that they also have more conventional plans.
daft_pink 3y ago
As someone that used Dental Insurance heavily after I didn't take good care of my teeth in my 20's and previously negotiated many different Dental policies as an agent for a large employer this really isn't true. 1. I found that different Dental Insurance companies have wildly different negotiated rates and there is no real standard. Delta Dental tends to have better negotiated rates in my experience and United Healthcare's dental plans seem like they don't negotiate at all and using a specialized Dental company results in the lowest rates overall as the large health insurers are simply profiting off the insurance and don't seem to care how much they pay, which sucks when you pay a percentage for a procedure. 2. The totally covered population for dental insurance is not big enough to control the market. Generally, I found that when I wasn't covered by dental insurance, dental costs were a lot higher and you do generally receive a savings from dental insurance and they really don't have enough market share to control the market. 3. The coverage for adverse events is mostly just limited, because if you go to the dentist regularly, you generally don't have tons of adverse events within one year. I think most people will find a decent dental insurance plan will mostly cover them. Even if you exceed the negotiated rate, I just find that in general having dental insurance is beneficial to me as a person and not a scam like vision insurance where you are generally better off finding a coupon or deal, or ridiculous like health insurance where they have manipulated the networks and deductibles so that the average person has no idea what they are buying or how to evaluate it. My criticism of dental insurance would simply be that I think that policy holders should benefit from company negotiated rates under a policy even when a particular item isn't covered under their policy. I find that is the one area where dental insurance in general is lacking, because dental insurance takes the negotiation out of pricing and gives you the benefit of the companies negotiated rates.

shnock 3y ago

Are acute and not universal dental operations like a root canal, crown, abscess op not adverse events for which there can be risk pooling?

callalex 3y ago
They are, and that is not what Delta “insurance” covers.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- quacker 3y ago
  I’m not sure why you say this. Maybe I don’t understand what you mean. I have Delta Dental through my employer’s benefits and it covers all the types of operations that I’d expect: preventive, endodontic, periodontic, orthodontic, prosthodontic, etc. If I need a root canal, it’s covered by Delta Dental (up to a point, given the deductible). If I chip a tooth, and get an inlay or onlay, that is covered. Is this not insurance? Why not?
  - calfuris 3y ago
    Where I live, Delta offers a plan that essentially provides a set price list for various procedures as long as you are in network. Perhaps the person you're replying to has run into that plan and didn't realize that they also have more conventional plans.

daft_pink 3y ago

As someone that used Dental Insurance heavily after I didn't take good care of my teeth in my 20's and previously negotiated many different Dental policies as an agent for a large employer this really isn't true. 1. I found that different Dental Insurance companies have wildly different negotiated rates and there is no real standard. Delta Dental tends to have better negotiated rates in my experience and United Healthcare's dental plans seem like they don't negotiate at all and using a specialized Dental company results in the lowest rates overall as the large health insurers are simply profiting off the insurance and don't seem to care how much they pay, which sucks when you pay a percentage for a procedure. 2. The totally covered population for dental insurance is not big enough to control the market. Generally, I found that when I wasn't covered by dental insurance, dental costs were a lot higher and you do generally receive a savings from dental insurance and they really don't have enough market share to control the market. 3. The coverage for adverse events is mostly just limited, because if you go to the dentist regularly, you generally don't have tons of adverse events within one year. I think most people will find a decent dental insurance plan will mostly cover them. Even if you exceed the negotiated rate, I just find that in general having dental insurance is beneficial to me as a person and not a scam like vision insurance where you are generally better off finding a coupon or deal, or ridiculous like health insurance where they have manipulated the networks and deductibles so that the average person has no idea what they are buying or how to evaluate it. My criticism of dental insurance would simply be that I think that policy holders should benefit from company negotiated rates under a policy even when a particular item isn't covered under their policy. I find that is the one area where dental insurance in general is lacking, because dental insurance takes the negotiation out of pricing and gives you the benefit of the companies negotiated rates.