WDWWT?

MinM

Is dental and vision insurance only for 'when you need it' or for routine care of mainentance of your teeth and eyes (ie, check ups)?

*Barbie*

for routine care. hopefully with routine preventitive care in those areas (especially teeth) you can prvent a whole host of more serious problems in the long run.

AuntFlo

My dental pretty much only covers the routine/maintenance stuff and then gives you a "discount" for the big stuff.

dharmabunny

I don't have vision since I don't wear glasses. But dental is pretty much full coverage for preventative. The more expensive the procedure, the less generous the coverage.

Wzz

routine, plus some.

for my dental, i get full coverage for exams, xrays, extractions and cavity fillings. everything else is covered on a scale - somethinglike 85% and 50% coverage for certain things.

dental is damned expensive even with insurance for major work.

i am not sure how vision coverage works for people who don't need glasses. we get exams every year and we're covered for a specific amount towards lenses or glasses.

zsazsa-stl

Every plan is different, you will have to read. 

At most places H and I have worked, the vision "insurance" was really just a discount plan.  And if you go to a chain place with frequent sales for your glasses, you don't really need it.   I like that our health insurance here pays for one eye exam per year so there is no temptation to buy into the vision plan.

6fsn

I don't look too closely at vision insurance, but generally say it's not worth unless you have VSP.  Also check your medical coverage because sometimes that will cover a portion of an eye exam.

Dental is usually worth it for your routine care and if something should come up.  We always opt in for that.

Heffalump

dental = routine

vision = never, for me

DG1

We found a workaround for vision last year, but we don't have it this year & probably won't for quite a while. Zsa is right about the discounted exams (I was just at walmart & saw a sign for a $48 exam). And now that I've found eyefly.com, zenni optical, warby-parker, etc, frames & lenses can be damn cheap, too. I'm sure there are similar discount options for contacts.

Now dental I am all for. We just do 2x/yr standard visits, but we definitely save money on that by using the dental plan, especially after factoring in the annual x-rays. And yes, proper dental care can prevent a host of other problems.

MinM

H and I had a long discussion about this. He has not used his insurance benefits in seven months. I say that is wasting money. He says no, because insurance is only "for when you need it" which I take to mean, emergencies, like auto-insurance.

But I said no, you need to care for your eyes and teeth (he wears glasses).

Sometimes I wonder who raised this man? Like, really?

*Barbie*

He should be going yearly for vision checks if he wears glasses - more often if he is having an issue.

My sister's eye doctor actually helped diagnose an issue that she was having with headaches, etc. He saw a problem during her routine exam and told her to get to a specialist immediately. She was having a reaction to long term antibiotics that could have been serious (eventual blindness) if not caught.

We only pay $10 for yearly exams with vision (DK wears glasses/contacts, I don't) and nothing for routine dental exams. Other dental work is on a % scale based on what it is. DK's company pays 100% for his insurance (family plan), so it's worth it for us to have. I had a small premium when i covered the two of us, and still thought it was worth it.

tawillers

Our bodies are not automobiles.  You can't replace them when they get fcked up.

Routine care is mandatory at my house.  I force my husband to get this schit done (he believes it's important, but has a hard time finding time to do it).

6fsn

My sister has diagnose diabetes, infections, heart problems, and even a stroke that occured when the patient was in-utero.  Eye exams are important for a lot of reasons besides glasses and contacts.

NOLABridesmaid

I've had some eye issues, so I have vision, and y'all already know how I feel about the British. So, ditto on dental too.

thejucheidea

My dental covers twice yearly exams and 80% of any procedures performed. I don't have vision because I don't have any eye issues, but whenever I switch from my insurance to my boyfriend's (who works for a massive corporation as opposed to my local medical practice), I might get vision just for the hell of it.