Dental Insurance Cost Cutting Plan Article Discussion Area

Former_MSE_Archna · 18 April 2006 at 4:24PM

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Dental Insurance Cost Cutting Plan Article

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iceburn · 19 April 2006 at 3:01AM

Our dentist near us went private last year or so and now say to get treated there you can't pay for the cost of the treatment privately if you want to. You have to instead join ‘capitation’ plans it offer and pay a fix amount each month. Is that correct?

gravitytolls · 19 April 2006 at 4:54PM

Help, I don't really understand teh dental insurance plans. If I pay a fixed sum each month, do I get check up's and treatment free?

What is HSA then?

And if I sign up to a private dentist wiht a plan, do the children get treated free at the same dentist?

And lastly, what's the best value for money plan, or is there not much between them?

thebigfatox · 19 April 2006 at 8:03PM

A minor correction, if I may, to Martin's article: from April 1st 2006, the maximum fee for any course of treatment is £189. Prior to 1.4.06 it was £384. It may appear that the cost of treatment has been lowered by the government. This is true for the small minority of patients having extensive courses of treatment on the NHS. The vast majority of patients, who have little treatment and attend regularly will actually pay more. Someone having perfect dental health prior to 1st April would have paid about £5 for an examination. This has risen to £15.50. Some patients will obviously benefit from the restructuring of the dental charge system but as a generalisation, well-motivated, good attenders will be paying more and overall the government is likely to recover more revenue from charges (which are after all nothing more than another stealth tax) than previously - the only real winner is the treasury. Furthermore, the new dentists' contract is target-driven and dis-incentives the dentist to provide quality treatment and anyone having NHS dental treatment should be wary of the mechanism. For example, if you should have a crown provided on the NHS, the dentist will be paid the same whether he uses a quality dental laboratory using quality materials as if he sends the work out to a lab in Eastern Europe offering the cheapest product money can buy. While British dentistry has historically been the cheapest in the civilised world, we have also enjoyed the national stereotype of the worst teeth. The new NHS contract is unlikely to improve matters. With PCTs in the news for failing to fund cancer-treating drugs, perhaps it is time to face the reality that the government does not have the funds in the coffers to fund dentistry as dentists would like to deliver it and the British public may have to take financial responsibility for their own dental health. Given this, choosing a parctice is a similar process to choosing any other service - where we perceive value for money not just the cheapest available.

thebigfatox · 19 April 2006 at 8:11PM

gravitytolls wrote:

Help, I don't really understand teh dental insurance plans. If I pay a fixed sum each month, do I get check up's and treatment free?

What is HSA then?

And if I sign up to a private dentist wiht a plan, do the children get treated free at the same dentist?

And lastly, what's the best value for money plan, or is there not much between them?

Plans vary - some plans will cover all "preventive" items - examinations, hygienists, x-rays etc, some will be more comprehensive and cover interventive treatment (at higher cost)
Whether children get treated free at the same dentist will depend on the dentist - the dentist is at liberty to see whoever he chooses though if he accepts a child for treatment on the NHS, it will be free.
The best value for money plan will depend on your own individual dental needs.

funschine · 19 April 2006 at 9:09PM

Although you can be put on to the NHS waiting list for a dentist, Not all NHS dentisits are on the list. My Denist takes new patients once a year and no one from the list gets registered to them. My work has an ads emailing list and somebody asked if anyone knows of any dentists taking on new patients. All replies where than emailed onto the list and suddenly just about everyone at my work was registered by making a phone call. There is a hotline for each area that tells you who is taking on new dentists. For anyone living in Aberdeen, Northfeild Dental practice has taken new patients the last two years end Feb/beginning March.
Hope that might help and encourage to keep looking for NHS dentists.[/FONT

susyque · 19 April 2006 at 9:10PM

I have been making enquiries about the new charges. It seems that if you require more than one filling, or more than one crown this will still come under the same band. ie for £42.50 you can have as many fillings as required, or as many teeth out. Likewise if you need more than one crown or similar then the dentist can only make the one charge of £189. I was told this by my healthcare trust. I was also told that you can 'shop around' for treatment and you are no longer tied into your regular dentist. They are no longer able to charge a patient if they miss appointments. These are some of the things I was told last week.

thebigfatox wrote:

A minor correction, if I may, to Martin's article: from April 1st 2006, the maximum fee for any course of treatment is £189. Prior to 1.4.06 it was £384. It may appear that the cost of treatment has been lowered by the government. This is true for the small minority of patients having extensive courses of treatment on the NHS. The vast majority of patients, who have little treatment and attend regularly will actually pay more. Someone having perfect dental health prior to 1st April would have paid about £5 for an examination. This has risen to £15.50. Some patients will obviously benefit from the restructuring of the dental charge system but as a generalisation, well-motivated, good attenders will be paying more and overall the government is likely to recover more revenue from charges (which are after all nothing more than another stealth tax) than previously - the only real winner is the treasury. Furthermore, the new dentists' contract is target-driven and dis-incentives the dentist to provide quality treatment and anyone having NHS dental treatment should be wary of the mechanism. For example, if you should have a crown provided on the NHS, the dentist will be paid the same whether he uses a quality dental laboratory using quality materials as if he sends the work out to a lab in Eastern Europe offering the cheapest product money can buy. While British dentistry has historically been the cheapest in the civilised world, we have also enjoyed the national stereotype of the worst teeth. The new NHS contract is unlikely to improve matters. With PCTs in the news for failing to fund cancer-treating drugs, perhaps it is time to face the reality that the government does not have the funds in the coffers to fund dentistry as dentists would like to deliver it and the British public may have to take financial responsibility for their own dental health. Given this, choosing a parctice is a similar process to choosing any other service - where we perceive value for money not just the cheapest available.

farang_2 · 20 April 2006 at 8:05AM

Confirmation of a mistake in Martins orginal article.

Your article on Dental charges states that a filling can cost up to £42.50!!! I have recently had one filling and have been charged £42.50 as the treatment was in the middle band. I was told by my dentist that if I have work in the other band it WILL cost you that band amount NOT up to that amount.

Previoulsy I would have paid £7 for this filling, what a rip off now.

walrusoflove · 20 April 2006 at 10:31AM

With the charge being £42 for one or six fillings, it seems to me that an awful lot of people will simply wait until they have a mouth full of holes before they can afford to go and get them seen to.

Martin: Can you please consider an article looking into the costs of getting dental work done abroad - for many of us living on the South Coast, it may be worthwhile to visit the dentist in France. And what about seeing a dentist whilst in other countries during a holiday? Thanks!!

Toothsmith · 20 April 2006 at 1:02PM

walrusoflove wrote:

With the charge being £42 for one or six fillings, it seems to me that an awful lot of people will simply wait until they have a mouth full of holes before they can afford to go and get them seen to.

The problem they will find if they do this is that an NHS dentist will be reluctant to take them on as patients.

The NHS charge is the same, but also the 'points' a dentist gets for doing the work is the same. So, if you were a dentist who had to get so many points towards a target, why would you take on someone who required several hours of work for 3 credits, when a patient with just one simple filling got you the same credit? (Remember, none of that £42.50 goes to the dentist - it is just a health tax)

Remember that no-one is now 'registered' with an NHS dentist. Just because you've been to the same dentist for ages gives you no special treatment or right to be seen there any more.

Toothsmith · 20 April 2006 at 1:03PM

I think Jennifer Anniston and Tom Cruise would fall about laughing at Martin's suggestion that their smiles are 'cheap to look after'!

Smiles very very rarely look like that through sheer luck. And none stay that way without good quality regular care.

Dental Insurance Cost Cutting Plan Article Discussion Area

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