Anyone used dental discount cards/plans, are they a rip off?

DentalPlans.com seems to have some decent plans... but I think they are the discount cards. Around $150 a year for family plans that seem to cover about the same percentages as my dental helth insurance. Example..


Insurance: 50$ a month. 80% copay after 6mo waiting period on most everything minor %26amp; 50%copay on major w/ an 18mo waiting period.


Card: Pretty decent savings a filling is only 50$ (regular 120) %26amp; no waiting..


WWYD?

Anyone used dental discount cards/plans, are they a rip off?
They are a dental discount card. Here is how it works. You as the patient will usually get a GREAT deal on having your teeth cleaned. The exam and X rays are how the office makes back the money they lost of the cleaning. The patient does get the advantage of knowing exactly how much each procedure will cost them. The dental offices sign up beause they get free advertisment, they get patients who most likely have bad teeth otherwise they wouldn't sign up for the program.





Suggestion. If you have good/great teeth skip the plan all together and set aside money in a Health Savings account for down the road. Find out which offices are on the discount plan, and ask them if they would honor the rates posted from the discounter, 9/10 they will say sure even theough you don't belong because you asked for the discount.
Reply:You get what you pay for. There is no such thing as a free lunch. In order for a doctor to discount his usual %26amp; customary fee so much, there has to be corners cut somewhere. I wouldn't recommend it personally.
Reply:I've read consumer websites where such plans are discussed. They are overwhelmingly negative - both from customers and sellers.





It is a multi-level marketing scheme, which makes the seller money ONLY if they recruit people selling under them.





The plans themselves depend on dentists willing to work for a fraction of their normal fee, maybe 50% or less. Do the math...what would not be provided to the discounted patient that would be to the full-price patient? Time? Materials? Anesthetic?





Why would a successful, quality dental practice accept these deeply discounted plans - unless they were so desperate for patients? Good dentists do plenty of charity work each year, simply because they'd rather give it away to a deserving person than work with these shady companies.





Do some extensive research before purchasing one of these plans. You'll be amazed at how many people regret getting involved in "discount" plans.
Reply:Be cautious about buying or choosing a plan where you do not have any choice about the dentist you can see, because you just might not like the dentist(s) listed on the plan and then you are stuck for a year until you can get out of it.





Be cautious about buying a so-called "dental discount plan," often mentioned on Yahoo!, since they also have restrictive lists and they really are not dental insurance at all. Just be careful and understand what you are buying. There is one plan that is often mentioned here that shows NO participating general dentists in my town of 50,000 people. If you took this plan, you'd have to drive about 15 miles to the closest participating dentist.
Reply:I have a dental discount card and it is not a rip off. One of the reason people have discount dental cards is the same reason people are members of Sam's club or Costco, they want to save money on products they use! And just because you are saving money does not mean the quality of care you received by the dental providers associated with the discount plan will be compromised. And it looks like you have done your home work already!