Alberta's NDP government will create a dental fee guide

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by Locke

I'm actually talking specifically about glasses. My wife is going to go out and buy glasses tomorrow specifically because she can/more or less has to.

Has to? Or else what? You'd have to use next year's benefits? Oh the humanity! Can't you just find a crooked optometrist who is willing to make a fraudulent claim? I thought you were a numbers guy? (Ok most of this post should be green text)

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

Does she have access to funds in a health spending account? If so then there is some urgency to incurring the claim by the end of the year, if not then the maximum for glasses is generally on a two year basis, so if she is at the end of a two year cycle, then getting glasses by the end of the year makes sense.

Be careful with glasses. One plan I had was every 24 months but not 2 Calender years. So if you didn't get glasses until 6 months into the plan you had to wait 24 months from that date for your plan to reset.

[calgarygeologist]

I noticed on my dental insurance that they cover 100% for a filling but subsequent fillings on the visit don't get covered 100% but rather at a discount (80% for the second and lower for a third, fourth, etc.) Is this normal for dental plans? It seems like a weird policy.

[iggy_oi]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

I noticed on my dental insurance that they cover 100% for a filling but subsequent fillings on the visit don't get covered 100% but rather at a discount (80% for the second and lower for a third, fourth, etc.) Is this normal for dental plans? It seems like a weird policy.

Policies can vary so there really is no "normal". Sounds like a cheap policy though.

[Northendzone]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

I noticed on my dental insurance that they cover 100% for a filling but subsequent fillings on the visit don't get covered 100% but rather at a discount (80% for the second and lower for a third, fourth, etc.) Is this normal for dental plans? It seems like a weird policy.

First I have heard f this and I work in the exciting world of group benefits. To me all a policy like this would do is encourage patients to make multiple visits to get one filling at a time.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

Why again are dental and eye not covered under universal medical coverage?

At $1500 per person this program would cost roughly 6 billion dollars.

So do you want to pay an additional $3000 or so dollars per year in tax? Noe you could increase business payroll taxes to offset the savings they would see on plans but it still would be billions of dollars we don't have.

Now the province should require fluoridation of all water in cities that would be a good investment but i don't think we can afford dental care. Perscription drugs is probably a better being for your buck then dental if we are expanding programs.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by iggy_oi

Policies can vary so there really is no "normal". Sounds like a cheap policy though.

Originally Posted by Northendzone

First I have heard f this and I work in the exciting world of group benefits. To me all a policy like this would do is encourage patients to make multiple visits to get one filling at a time.

It seems strange to me which is why I was asking. Overall the policy is really good but I was looking into the details because my kid needs some work done at the end of the month and that is how I found out about this filling "discount."

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

It seems strange to me which is why I was asking. Overall the policy is really good but I was looking into the details because my kid needs some work done at the end of the month and that is how I found out about this filling "discount."

I was curious and checked my benefits to see if I had something similar, and it looks like the answer is yes?

[Northendzone]

I would think there would hardly be any times when you had six or more fillings in one sitting - plus I would assume that very few dentists have that much free time unless you really book in advance

[calgarygeologist]

I took my kid to get a couple fillings done this morning and our dentist just recently completed a renovation and expansion of their office. I figure it must have set them back a couple million. Lots of new chairs and equipment, granite everywhere. It looks really nice but I sure hope the fees haven't gone up too much. They were already pretty ridiculous.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

I took my kid to get a couple fillings done this morning and our dentist just recently completed a renovation and expansion of their office. I figure it must have set them back a couple million. Lots of new chairs and equipment, granite everywhere. It looks really nice but I sure hope the fees haven't gone up too much. They were already pretty ridiculous.

I recently took one of my kids in to have a filling. $150 for the assessment. $340 for the filling. I showed the bill to him and asked if he still wants to be an engineer when he grows up.

[indes]

I recently paid 24$ for an assessment and 156$ for a filling in Castlegar. No insurance but the dental costs here are cheaper than any dental insurance I can buy.

[northcrunk]

Dentistry is almost a criminal racket. I say this as someone who's cousin is one of those racketeers.

[GordonBlue]

Originally Posted by northcrunk

Dentistry is almost a criminal racket. I say this as someone who's cousin is one of those racketeers.

while I think dental prices are way too high, it's not as bad as you'd think.

you wouldn't believe the cost of instruments and supplies, before even getting into staffing , insurance and all the other costs involved in operating a practice.

what's borderline criminal is what you have to pay for equipment and sundries because it's for dental/medical treatment.

[temple5]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

Why again are dental and eye not covered under universal medical coverage?

Because my taxes already go to pay for those who smoke, drink to much, eat to many caloric foods, and dont get enough exercise becasue they would rather binge watch some reality TV garbage show on some bs cable channel then take care of their own health.

If people are to fkn lazy to brush their teeth twice a day and floss once a day and occasionally use some mouth wash then I dont want our collective tax dollars to pay for them.

Procedure fees should be advertised so I can "shop around" to different dentists to see if free bottled, nice couches and fake fireplace is worth the extra fees.

[temple5]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

I noticed on my dental insurance that they cover 100% for a filling but subsequent fillings on the visit don't get covered 100% but rather at a discount (80% for the second and lower for a third, fourth, etc.) Is this normal for dental plans? It seems like a weird policy.

Ive never had a dental policy where 100% of anything was covered. It was only ever 80% of what the guide said (not what the dentist actually charged).

In regards to fillings/braces etc there was a yearly cap or "slush fund" you could use so if you needed procedures like those done then you had them split between the fiscal years to lessen the out of pocket expense.

[Flash Walken]

The free market has decided that Albertans can afford to be gouged I guess.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

The free market has decided that Albertans can afford to be gouged I guess.

Its not really a free market though is it?

Whenever you're dealing with insurance it throws a wrench in the entire works because everyone knows that an insurance company is picking up most of the tab.

[Calgary14]

I recently had an annual dental cleaning done (in BC) and submitted the claim to the insurance company. Total cost was about $200. I was out of pocket around $20.

A coworker also had a routine annual dental cleaning done here (in Calgary) and showed me his receipt. Total cost was about $450. He was out of pocket around $50. Some of the exact same procedures were 2-3x what I paid. Both were basic stuff for a cleaning, no major procedures or even x-rays.

I feel bad for anyone who doesn't have coverage but uses an Alberta dentist, especially those with families.

[northcrunk]

I'm a contractor with no benefits. A cleaning and X-rays is $600 for my kid.