Comments | poor_skills: Advantages Dental Plans

transemacabre in poor_skills

Advantages Dental Plans

Apr 23, 2007 18:33

Has anyone tried Advantages Dental Plans? They're supposed to be membership programs that offer discounts on visits to the dentist and dental procedures. You pay a fee (around $100 per year) and you get reduced rates to dentists in your area. I'm interested in signing my family up.

dental

Comments 8

churlish April 24 2007, 00:36:07 UTC

I was on it, and never used it. Cancelling is a pain, but they do cancel it if you go through their process.

msretro April 24 2007, 00:56:55 UTC

My boyfriend used a different plan; cannot remember the name of the plan.

We found that it was fairly restrictive -- you could only get the discount on so many procedures each year.

It did save him a few hundred on a root canal, so, it was probably worth it. There weren't any renewal fees for the program.

mindiloohoo April 24 2007, 02:17:46 UTC

From what I've heard (through pamphlets in dentist offices), plans like that are useless. Dentists PAY to be a part of the program, then give small discounts in response. In the end, you pay to be referred to specific dentists, and don't get that much of a discount. Even when the program says it "evaluated" the dentists, they usually don't. They'll just accept anyone who pays them for the referral. SO basically, you may end up wtih subpar dentistry, paying about the same amount.

I dont' want to scare you, I'm just sayin to research whatever it is. Check the BBB and google the name + complaint.

transemacabre April 24 2007, 21:24:28 UTC

Thanks! I really appreciate all the replies. I already emailed BBB about them, let's see what they have to say.

hbpen April 26 2007, 04:21:19 UTC

Let us know what you find out. :)

purplesharpie April 24 2007, 15:43:43 UTC

I just got Delta Dental (which was the insurance my old job had me on) via Costco for $68 per year and I have the same exact coverage as I did before, which is great.

The catch is you have to have an exec membership ($100/yr) but we share a membership with my father in law so it's worth it to us in the longrun.

goodbyeclarityx April 26 2007, 07:21:34 UTC

through costco?! i will have to check that out. thank you so much for posting.

purplesharpie April 26 2007, 07:48:11 UTC

Yep! I actually saw the booklet last time we were there and grabbed it.

When you go to costco.com, click on Services and it should all be outlined :)