[I am currently 25 y.o. and in Columbus, Ohio. My yearly income is about $16k.]
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I recently went to my routine dental cleaning, where I was informed that I have a cavity that needs to be filled. (This is my first cavity.) The dental office told me that, if I were to pay out-of-pocket, it would cost me about $240 to have it filled.
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I don't have "dental insurance." Regarding medical insurance, I am covered under my mom's plan (who works at the VA). My medical insurance is "BlueCross BlueShield Federal Employee Program."
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Now, my medical insurance does actually cover routine dental cleanings (I still have to pay a co-pay ranging from $16-$41). But, cavity fillings are not covered at all. I got all of this info from talking to BlueCross on the phone.
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I work as an "independent contractor" at my job (1099-Misc), so I don't have (and can't buy) insurance via my employer.
I know little about insurance and admit that I should know a lot more at my age, but I'm trying to learn.
Do you think that I should buy dental insurance (before getting the cavity filled) or just pay the $240 out of pocket?
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I know that dental insurance plans range wildly in cost, but can anyone hazard a guess to say whether a dental insurance plan for 1 year + the co-pay for the filling will come out to be under $240?
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Note: I have $240 in my bank account, so I am entirely able to pay for the filling out of pocket -- I just want to make the decision that saves me the most money.
If you recommend that I (i.e., an otherwise-healthy 25 y.o. with no teeth/gum issues) should buy dental insurance, can you please inform me how to do this?
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This part overwhelms me -- a Google search for "buy dental insurance" brings up a number of different companies & websites. Can you recommend a plan or website? Should I just buy the cheapest plan that I can find? My dentist accepts pretty much all plans.
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Given that I already know that I need dental care asap, I need to make sure that I buy a plan "without a waiting period," correct?
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Also, it appears that the "open enrollment period" for buying health insurance is from November 1 to December 15. Given that it is April and I think it is bad for my cavity to sit unfilled for months, am I SOL? Is "short term dental insurance" a thing?
MANY THANKS in advance for the advice.
Submitted April 03, 2018 at 07:45AM by LessBongo https://ift.tt/2q1Shod
