Iggy Posted December 13, 2011 Report Posted December 13, 2011 good grief- We drive 34 miles one way so Husband can go to the oral surgeon to have a tooth pulled. We get there a half hour early, he fills out all of the paper work, they make copies of his Medicare(Medicaid-whatever!!) and of his Delta insurance card. At five minutes past his appointment, he is taken back. A half hour later he is at the billing counter- with three Rx's. One for antibiotic, one for pain and one for a mouth wash. His tooth is still in his mouth. The Dr didn't even look in his mouth! Just asked him what he was there for. $58.00 it cost to be handed three Rx's- had to make the appointment to have the tooth extracted. That won't happen until Jan 16th! They wanted us to pay half the cost of extraction now- and pay the balance at the next appointment. $500 +- I asked them if that was the balance after Medicare/caid paid? Oh, they don't cover this. Well, then Delta does- what is our cost AFTER they pay? Oh, you have Delta? I didn't see that. Another 20 minutes goes by while we wait for her to re-figure the cost- Hubby goes to the bathroom and I am looking for a chair. Finally she figures out we do not pay anything in advance, that we will pay a copay of $50.00 at the next appointment, and that they will bill Delta. We ask that she call Delta, now, and get pre-approval. Oh, Delta offices are closed. Huh! it is only 1:45 PT- CALL. She did, requested pre-approval, Delta will get back to her within 10 business days. **made note to call Oral Surgeons office in 10 days to see if pre-approval came through** The next appointment is at 10:45 AM. I am not happy about that time, but we take it. IF it freezes the night before, it will take me twice as long to make the trip- lots of icy curves along the Oregon coast line. No way I want to skid over the edge and plunge into the ocean!! I will be praying for warmer (45 and above) weather, and possibly rain. The last oral surgeon I went to was in Corvallis, OR. That was over 15 years ago!Cost $89.00 to have a molar extracted. Times have changed.
pam Posted December 13, 2011 Report Posted December 13, 2011 $500 for an extraction? And why do you have to go to an oral surgeon? Is it impacted?
FunkyTown Posted December 13, 2011 Report Posted December 13, 2011 Man. I get where you're coming from. Here in the UK, I had to go to the dentist. I phoned up in the morning, got one for that afternoon, went the six hundred yards from my place to his and waited nearly ten minutes in the waiting room before I saw the dentist who fixed me up, and it cost me £35.
Iggy Posted December 13, 2011 Author Report Posted December 13, 2011 $500 for an extraction? And why do you have to go to an oral surgeon? Is it impacted? It had a root canal and then capped- the root is cracked- and it is going to be a messy, involved extraction. Also it is infected- he has already been on antibiotics for 9 days- and the infection still isn't cleared up. The Dentist told Hubby that this is beyond his ability- and recommended he go to an oral surgeon. Funky: When it is all done, we will only be paying $50.00 total which is the co-pay. Delta insurance won't be paying the full $500+ either, they will pay a discounted amount that has been agreed upon when the Oral Surgeon agreed to accept Delta insurance clients.
Jamie123 Posted December 13, 2011 Posted December 13, 2011 (edited) · Hidden Hidden Going to the dentist scared the willies out of me as a kid - specially as our densist was a miserable old child-hater who never wasted local anasthetic to anyone young enough to sound like a whining grizzler when he complained about the pain, or who lacked the freedom to go elsewhere for his dental work. And another thing....that's the biggest lie parents ever tell their kids. "Don't worry about the dentist," they say, "It won't hurt," while of course you know it will hurt like the dickens, coz' you remember it from last time, when you felt exactly like Dusbtin Hoffman in The Marathan Man. Edited December 13, 2011 by Jamie123 Last bit could have been misconstrued. It was about someone I knew at school - not anyone on this forum.
pam Posted December 13, 2011 Report Posted December 13, 2011 It had a root canal and then capped- the root is cracked- and it is going to be a messy, involved extraction. Also it is infected- he has already been on antibiotics for 9 days- and the infection still isn't cleared up. The Dentist told Hubby that this is beyond his ability- and recommended he go to an oral surgeon. Funky: When it is all done, we will only be paying $50.00 total which is the co-pay. Delta insurance won't be paying the full $500+ either, they will pay a discounted amount that has been agreed upon when the Oral Surgeon agreed to accept Delta insurance clients. Ahhh gotcha. So not a a simple extraction.
RescueMom Posted December 13, 2011 Report Posted December 13, 2011 (edited) Man. I get where you're coming from. Here in the UK, I had to go to the dentist. I phoned up in the morning, got one for that afternoon, went the six hundred yards from my place to his and waited nearly ten minutes in the waiting room before I saw the dentist who fixed me up, and it cost me £35.wait wait wait wait wait...you didn't have to wait months and months, die of cancer three times, and sell your soul for this type of health care????:confused:I.am.shocked.my evil liberal side showing, isn't it?Iggy,I am sorry, I've had the almost same thing happen with my daughters wisdom teeth...we ended up going to a different dentist, who extracted the cracked tooth immediately and it cost us $50. I would get a different opinion if possible, it was weird how one dentist did almost exactly what your dentist did and the other just pulled the wisdom tooth that day. Edited December 13, 2011 by RescueMom
Guest Posted December 13, 2011 Report Posted December 13, 2011 I am sorry, I've had the almost same thing happen with my daughters wisdom teeth...we ended up going to a different dentist, who extracted the cracked tooth immediately and it cost us $50. I would get a different opinion if possible, it was weird how one dentist did almost exactly what your dentist did and the other just pulled the wisdom tooth that day.There are many types of dentist just like there are many types of doctors. There's the general dentist which is equivalent to your Family Practitioner physician. Then there's the pediatric dentist that specializes in children. There's the Orthodontist that specializes in jaw and facial alignment (better at fitting braces to terribly mis-aligned teeth) which is equivalent to your orthopoedic doctor. There's the Periodontist that treats periodontal diseases like gingivitis. There's the Endodontist who performs root canals. There's the oral & maxillofacial surgeon that does surgical extractions and mouth/skeletal reconstruction especially after cancer treatment or trauma cases. There are more. If I remember correctly, there are 9 areas of dentistry.Anyway, wisdom tooth extraction is usually done by an oral surgeon as it involves surgery. Your general dentist may do it, but they're not specially trained for it, so they are not equipped to handle complications that occur. This is also the same for root canals. Your general dentist may do it but they're not specially trained for it - it's usually done by an Endodentist. Same for braces - your general dentist may do it, but the orthodontist is specially trained for it, etc.
Bini Posted December 13, 2011 Report Posted December 13, 2011 Sorry, that's frustrating. Funky, I thought you were in Canada!? But you're in the UK now? My mind is playing tricks on me!
Jennarator Posted December 13, 2011 Report Posted December 13, 2011 The insurence in this country is a joke!! Obamacare is NOT going to help! For me I am seriouly stressed because we make too much money to qualify for medicaid, yet the policies for either mine or my husbands work cost about 600 bucks a month! Can't afford that at all, or we can't pay moragage or bills.... The catch is that I have to keep my children covered due to the divorce. It is in my divorce decree to have medical coverage for my children. IT'S CRAZY! How are peole supposed to survive this noonsense?
RMGuy Posted December 13, 2011 Report Posted December 13, 2011 I've got a pair of vice-grips. You don't need any pain killer. Brother Joseph did just fine without it. :-) -RM
Guest Posted December 13, 2011 Report Posted December 13, 2011 The insurence in this country is a joke!! Obamacare is NOT going to help!For me I am seriouly stressed because we make too much money to qualify for medicaid, yet the policies for either mine or my husbands work cost about 600 bucks a month! Can't afford that at all, or we can't pay moragage or bills....The catch is that I have to keep my children covered due to the divorce. It is in my divorce decree to have medical coverage for my children. IT'S CRAZY! How are peole supposed to survive this noonsense?First of all, you're right. Insurance regulations are a joke.Second - in Florida, you can get individual health insurance coverage outside of your work. Back when Health Savings Accounts started, my husband and I opted out of our work insurance and got Emergency and Surgical coverage through Blue Cross for $155 a month for non-smoking 2 adults and 2 children with no chronic illnesses and then deposited $345 a month into a Health Savings Account. The insurance only covered hospitalization and surgery. Doctor visits, ER, prescription meds, etc. are not covered unless you end up in the hospital or have to have surgery. So, we paid for our yearly doctor visits with our HSA money. My son broke his elbow and had to have pins on it - covered by insurance. My other son had stitches on his eyebrow - covered by insurance. My husband had hernia, covered by insurance. We had that set-up until 2010 when the HSA rules changed. We still have quite a bit of money in the HSA that will stay there until we need it.Anyway, you might want to research health insurance options in your State.And lastly... $600/month on healthcare for a family is not too bad. Lots of people spend a lot more per month on their cars. There's a prevailing culture in the US that puts healthcare in the backburner of every household budget. $1500 monthly mortgage payment is cheap, $500/month on cable TV, internet, and cell service is ok. $500/month per car is normal. $600/month on healthcare is nonesense. When you think about it - your car can die, your cable tv and internet can be disconnected, and you can still live happy lives. Your health, though... that's your most important asset. Just like you put tithing first before anything else, put your healthcare next before anything else - either through insurance or health savings or a combination of both.Just my 2 cents.
Jennarator Posted December 13, 2011 Report Posted December 13, 2011 First of all, you're right. Insurance regulations are a joke.Second - in Florida, you can get individual health insurance coverage outside of your work. Back when Health Savings Accounts started, my husband and I opted out of our work insurance and got Emergency and Surgical coverage through Blue Cross for $155 a month for non-smoking 2 adults and 2 children with no chronic illnesses and then deposited $345 a month into a Health Savings Account. The insurance only covered hospitalization and surgery. Doctor visits, ER, prescription meds, etc. are not covered unless you end up in the hospital or have to have surgery. So, we paid for our yearly doctor visits with our HSA money. My son broke his elbow and had to have pins on it - covered by insurance. My other son had stitches on his eyebrow - covered by insurance. My husband had hernia, covered by insurance. We had that set-up until 2010 when the HSA rules changed. We still have quite a bit of money in the HSA that will stay there until we need it.Anyway, you might want to research health insurance options in your State.And lastly... $600/month on healthcare for a family is not too bad. Lots of people spend a lot more per month on their cars. There's a prevailing culture in the US that puts healthcare in the backburner of every household budget. $1500 monthly mortgage payment is cheap, $500/month on cable TV, internet, and cell service is ok. $500/month per car is normal. $600/month on healthcare is nonesense. When you think about it - your car can die, your cable tv and internet can be disconnected, and you can still live happy lives. Your health, though... that's your most important asset. Just like you put tithing first before anything else, put your healthcare next before anything else - either through insurance or health savings or a combination of both.Just my 2 cents.My car is old and paid off, we don't get cable tv, there isn't anything to cut back on. We just don't have money for health insurance.....
Guest Posted December 13, 2011 Report Posted December 13, 2011 My car is old and paid off, we don't get cable tv, there isn't anything to cut back on. We just don't have money for health insurance.....I understand that.All I'm saying is... $600/month on healthcare is not nonesense.
annewandering Posted December 13, 2011 Report Posted December 13, 2011 who pays 500 for cable tv, internet and cell phones? maybe they need to price shop a bit. I pay NO where near that. 600 a month is nonsense if you are low or mod income. another thing that is very annoying is that if you pay cash you pay premium prices. you are PUNISHED for not being able to afford insurance. we live in a nutsy world. one thing i do like about intermountain health care is they do give you a cash discount although that is not really a discount since insurances dont pay the so called regular costs either.
JudoMinja Posted December 13, 2011 Report Posted December 13, 2011 And lastly... $600/month on healthcare for a family is not too bad. Lots of people spend a lot more per month on their cars. There's a prevailing culture in the US that puts healthcare in the backburner of every household budget. $1500 monthly mortgage payment is cheap, $500/month on cable TV, internet, and cell service is ok. $500/month per car is normal. $600/month on healthcare is nonesense. When you think about it - your car can die, your cable tv and internet can be disconnected, and you can still live happy lives. Your health, though... that's your most important asset. Just like you put tithing first before anything else, put your healthcare next before anything else - either through insurance or health savings or a combination of both.It may not be too bad for your average person, but its a fortune to me. My monthly rent is $215. I have a pay as you go cellphone which I only put money on when I can afford to, sometimes that means going without. I have no cable tv or internet at home. My car is $200 a month. My child care is $100 a month (thanks to help through the workforce center). My electric and water are about $30 a month each. My tithing and student loan payment are both approximately $85 a month. I use up my remaining $100 on the gas I require to drive to and from work, so it's a good thing I get food stamps or we'd be starving. When it comes to other necessities like diapers and toiletries and cleaning supplies, I have to ask my mom or the church for help. I get Medicaid for my son, but because I qualify for insurance through work cannot get Medicaid for myself. Thankfully, there is an option that doesn't require any premium on my part, or I don't know how I would get by.I definitely agree with you though that the "average American" should have no problem affording paying for their health care when they spend so much on everything else, especially things they don't really need like cable and internet and expensive cellphone packages. But if I had to pay any premium for my own health care, I wouldn't be able to do it.
Jennarator Posted December 13, 2011 Report Posted December 13, 2011 I understand that.All I'm saying is... $600/month on healthcare is not nonesense.I suppose it depends on who you ask. To me that is a huge amout of money. There is just no way to pay it. My last job, it was 18 bucks a month. Seriously.....that's it. It was based on how much you make. I know the company aI work for now can't afford to do that, but the thing is that some how we have come to the point where health costs are so inflated (look on a hospital bill 25 bucks for a bandaid.) that the insurance costs a ton, but the medical world can charge that much cuz the insurance pays it, it a horrible cycle.
pam Posted December 13, 2011 Report Posted December 13, 2011 $600 a month for health insurance is outrageous to me too. I could never afford that. I'd be doing nothing more than working to pay for it and nothing else.
Jennarator Posted December 13, 2011 Report Posted December 13, 2011 It's interesting. Money is relitive. For me a car payment of even 200 bucks is a lot. Paying 12 dollars for a movie happens once a year. To others, dropping a few hundred for football tickets is nothing. And I am not just talking about the really rich. I see people just buying and spending all the time, I don't know how people do it. My morgage is less that 600 a month. Couldn't do more, and that at times is difficult. My kids don't expect much for Christmas. They have been asking for a DS for at least 5 years. I don't see how I will ever get that for them. Yet, most in my family (extended) have these toys. I work hard, but I don't see ever earing that much money. My husband has a degree and works full time as well, yet somehow I stil have to work. Always have worked. Things are still tight. It's just how it is. We are fine, except now I am not sure how we are going to get the kids insured.
Guest Posted December 13, 2011 Report Posted December 13, 2011 Jennarator, we are looking at making a permanent move to self-employment, so I've been wondering how we'll afford to insure ourselves and our 5 kids. We haven't had any insurance for about 4 months, and it's stressing me out! Anyway, I found a pretty decent plan for under $300 for all of us on einsurance.com. The deductible is high, but it covers something like 4 doctor visits plus a physical every year for each of us, outside of the deductible, so it's not bad. No dental, though, and a couple of my kids (and me) have really awful teeth.
Guest Posted December 13, 2011 Report Posted December 13, 2011 Okay, let me ask you guys then... Please don't take this as a snarky or insulting or whatever comment. This is truly a puzzle that I'm trying to roll around in my head. Because, I'm not a rich person. But, $600 is worth every penny to me to save up for my family's healthcare. I have a 4 bedroom house, 2 paid-off 8-year-old cars, $150/week of groceries, living holistically as healthy as we can possibly make it. If $600/month is too outrageous for... if I just limit to all the responders here on this forum, then it's all of you... then how do y'all figure out who gets to pay if you get into a situation like me where my father has cancer and everytime he gets a chemo treatment we pay $10,000? That's $10,000 per month for at least 6 months and then $2,000 or so per month for maintenance, for life. Do y'all just... die? Or do y'all figure somebody else will have to pay it? And if so... who do you think should pay it? Do y'all then approve of universal healthcare where the government re-distributes resources so that those who can afford cable TV and then some gets to pay for those who can't scratch 2 pennies together to pay for healthcare? Seriously. I'm super curious how y'all think it should work out.
john doe Posted December 13, 2011 Report Posted December 13, 2011 Let's try to keep this thread on topic. If you want to discuss the pros and cons of insurance, then I suggest we start a new topic. I doubt Iggy meant for her thread to degenerate to this.
annewandering Posted December 13, 2011 Report Posted December 13, 2011 I've got a pair of vice-grips. You don't need any pain killer. Brother Joseph did just fine without it. :-)-RMYou sure about that? I bet he would prefer today. Dental care is a royal pain. I went to a dentist once that had a way of getting as much as he could off each patient. He was bragging to an assistent that he just had them come back in over and over for each thing. I was having a denture fitted and I went in about 8 times just to have the mold retaken each time. Then it never did fit even close. I expect he wanted me to come back in over and over for fitting but we moved so I didnt.
pam Posted December 13, 2011 Report Posted December 13, 2011 Anatess i haven't seen anyone here say it wouldn't be worth it. But for someone like me that lives on one income, $600 a month just isn't feasible. In fact it's impossible. I suppose I could go back to working 3 jobs again to afford it.
Guest Posted December 13, 2011 Report Posted December 13, 2011 Since we've been taking out of savings just to buy food and gas, the best we've been able to do is pray really hard. We're already making payments on medical bills from when we did have health insurance. Hopefully nothing bad happens in the next month before we can afford to have it again. Something in our healthcare system needs to change. I have some ideas, but I'll have to visit those later because I have to run.
Recommended Posts