The Search for Dental Insurance

We had dental insurance through NAFMD (National Association for Medical & Dental). It was a Delta Dental plan and we were relatively happy with it. It was reasonably priced and had good coverage. Then last November I got a "Welcome" letter from my new Solstice dental plan. That wasn't good since I hadn't changed dental plans.

I phoned up to find out what kind of identity theft or fraud was going on and learned that Delta Dental had upped the premium and rather than pass that on NAFMD had decided to shift people into other plans. It seems they had put us into a plan that was about $20 less per month than what we'd been paying, but covered only exams and cleanings. If we needed crowns, root canals, fillings, or essentially anything - we'd be on our own. And to add insult to injury, our dentist was not even on our "new" plan.

I opted to leave it in place until I had time to research what is available and make an informed decision. But then last week I got a call from their telemarketing folks who wanted to sell me a plan. When I said I already had one that I wasn't particularly happy with she told me that I didn't  - they'd cut it off in November. I guess that was okay. Neither of us went to the dentist between November and January.

She said that when Delta raised their premium prices, they had made the decision to move everyone who was on it into a "better" plan.

"How is a plan that covers only exams and cleanings better than a plan that covered crowns and root canals? You know that every time you go to the dentist you're told you need a crown!"

She said, "I'm sorry that in your case, you didn't get moved to a better plan."

Then she went on to tell me how wonderful their HMO Dental Plan is. I'm not buying it. I'd heard horror stories about HMOs ever since they came up with the idea. I got my first taste of an HMO with my Medicare Advantage (advantage is a misnomer, by the way) and given a choice I won't have another one. I want to choose my own dentist. I want him or her to have a real practice and not a corporate identity. If I need a root canal, I'm going to an endodontist. And I don't care if I have to pay extra for the nitrous oxide. It's worth every penny.

I was having a very difficult time explaining to this woman that I was not going to buy an HMO plan no matter how affordable. It's not about the premium. It's about what you get for that premium.

In fact, unless you need a root canal or a crown, most dental insurance is nothing more than a deferred payment plan. If all you need in a given year is an exam, a set of x-rays and a couple of cleanings, you can buy that for the same, if not less than what you pay in premiums. No return on investment.

So today I started looking to replace what I had. It's surprising. Most of the things that come up on a Google search are paid ads. But I was attempting to do my best due diligence and trying to figure out whether it's worth it since most of the policies have a $1500 per person calendar year limit and only pay 50% of crowns and root canals anyway. How much work do you need to have done to make purchasing the insurance worthwhile? One crown? Two crowns?? Hard to say when you don't really know what you need.

One of the companies I was attempting to look at provided really generic information on their web site. They offered HMO plans and PPO plans. (Okay, so does almost everybody.) But their website said for faster service, phone. So I did. I phoned and all representatives were busy but I was assured they would phone me back. I didn't even have to leave my number.

They did phone me back and gave me a price of $119.00 per month for the two of us. Calendar year limit of $2500 each (better than most of them) and a $70 deductible. What he couldn't or wouldn't tell me is the rate they pay on fillings, root canals, etc. He said they were all different.

"Do any of the rates go below 50%?"

"Yes."

"Can you send me an email outlining specifically what is covered and at what rate?"

"No. If you sign up, you have 30 days to review it and cancel."

"You know, I'm not really good at remembering to cancel things within 30 days so I'd really rather just research what I'm buying before I plunk down any money."

You know what he said? "That's not how we do business."

You know what I said? "Perhaps your company is not right for me."

And now I'm looking into the Dental Discount Plans. I've got a call in to a friend who works in a dental office. I'm guessing she can shed a bit of light on the subject.

"

Hair!

I truly don't know what happens. Every time we go away, whether it's a vacation or a business trip, my hair starts misbehaving. I thought it was because of the cheesy hotel shampoo. But last time, I took my own, the stuff recommended by my hairdresser and while it helped, it didn't completely alleviate the problem.

It is inexplicable. Before we got home from Florida, my hair was so unmanageable that I was phoning my hairdresser to see if I had an appointment anytime soon and if not "can I get one?"

But oddly, within hours of getting home, my hair started to behave itself. I can probably go another week or two without a haircut. But this is really starting to make me a bit crazy. I know. There are so many variables - air, humidity, hard and soft water, shampoo, conditioner. You just can't control them all. But they don't seem to need much control when I'm at home. And I don't remember this ever being a problem 20 years ago.

I'm starting to think it's a conspiracy of things that attack us in our golden years. (Are your sixties golden years? - Maybe they're just silver or bronze.) Amyway, my hair is always fine when I'm at home but the minute I leave town.....Well. And then there's the whole uncomfortable bra thing... And the email newsletters you have to unsubscribe from that you never subscribed to in the first place. I should stop here. But the next time we go out of town, I'm taking a hat.

From Stag to Doe

I was so delighted to have a fireplace (after all these years without one) that I decided to buy stocking holders for Christmas. They weren't especially expensive but apparently they were a bit more delicate than I'd anticipated.

I managed to knock one of them onto the floor and it broke a bit off his antlers. (That little curly bit right in front.) Mark dutifully patched him up with contact cement and he was fine. Until the next time I knocked him off. All the antlers broke off. Completely. I would say "he" is now a "she" and I'm claiming her! We now have a doe as well as a stag - just like real life.

Next year she will be adorned with a bit of holly but no more antlers for this one. She is clearly not intended to have them. Some things are just not meant to be. We'll call it a "sex change operation" and next year she will have other decorations but no antlers. Bless her.