Can anyone explain dentist payment plans?

[Zziggi]

Hello

I've been to the dentist today and as from December he is no longer seeing NHS patients and it will be all patients who are on a payment plan. I know this has been going on around the country for a while now but it has been a bit of a shock to me. As someone whose family has been getting free dental treament up to now, it's a bit of a shock that I am now going to have to pay. I believe in preventative care and check-ups and I have always looked after my teeth and the kids' teeth. I don't like it, but I will pay - just want it to be as economical as possible. The dentist said he couldn't give me details today (they'll be in the post nearer to the time) but that he would be offering a plan where there is a low monthly charge but extra work than needs to be done would be more expensive. Obviously if you look after your teeth then it shouldn't be too expensive.

In a nutshell and in simple terms can someone explain what this change is. I've read threads before but not really understood them?

Also are these schemes run by the dentist the same as HSA etc etc schemes?

Can anyone tell me roughlywhat the cost of these schemes generally are so I have a rough price in mind?

Can anyone suggest what i should do? Should i join a scheme now (i understand there can be a 3 month waiting time before you can claim)?

Thanks in advance

[SparkyG]

Have a look at HSA dental plan. There are 3 levels and there is a 3 month qualifying period for treatment, but not for regular maintenance.
Myself and my husband have been on the top level plan (£17 a month each), for a while, and we think it is very good value for money. Claiming has been very straightforward, with prompt payouts.
I think it compares very favourably with dentists' own payment plans.

HTH

SparkyG

[floyd]

I get my cover through Denplan and they have been great, it covers all my x rays, hygenist visits, routine fillings (if I need them!) and also the surgery to remove my wisdom teeth. It costs £11 a month (depending on the condition of your teeth when you join) but I think they also do family cover which will work out cheaper.
Only drawback is that your dentist must be Denplan registered

[Toothsmith]

I think you need a bit more information from your dentist about what his scheme will be, what it will cost, what it will cover and how much it will cost you as a 'fee-per-item' patient if you don't join.

Then you can see how much things like HSA would cost you to get the sort of cover you need, and how likely you would be to go over the HSA limit.

Generally, the path of least resistance is to go with the scheme the dentist is using. This will keep things running smoothly.

You may save a bit by shopping around, but then you would have the hassle of filling in the claim forms, getting the dentist to sign them (Which he might charge for - some can be a right pain in the butt to fill in!)

If you go over your annual limit, you might be faced with a big bill.

Some schemes offered by dentists are 'maintenance plans'. They cover all the basics like check ups, clean ups, hygienist visits and x-rays, but you pay extra (But at a reduced rate) for treatment.

If this is what he's going with, then some extra top-up insurance like HSA may be worthwhile alongside the scheme.

There is a pretty good article and discussion on all this somewhere on these pages from last year - maybe someone could link to it?

The bottom line though is that you need more info from the dentist before you can decide.


Edit - I found the link!! It's http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=1998547#post1998547

[Zziggi]

Some schemes offered by dentists are 'maintenance plans'. They cover all the basics like check ups, clean ups, hygienist visits and x-rays, but you pay extra (But at a reduced rate) for treatment.

Thanks for your comments Toothsmith (& everyone else). I suspected that i need more info before i could make choice but I wanted to be on the ball so i thought I'd pose the question. I think it is going to be a 'maintenance plan' from what he said but details will come out 3 months before the change over (i.e. September).

Terrible tho' that they wont even see kids free anymore. Pre-1948 conditions... how long before children have false teeth?

*sigh*


Thanks again everyone