09-25-2024 Primetime - Flipbook - Page 26
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A Special Advertising Section of Baltimore Sun Media Group | Wednesday, September 25, 2024
OPEN ENROLLMENT
Is add-on insurance
worth it?
Talking about dental
and vision
By Margit B. Weisgal, Contributing Writer
U
nless you work for a very large company that provides extremely comprehensive insurance to all its employees, a rarity these days, the question
invariably arises about the benefits of dental insurance and vision insur-
ance, two items you will pay for separately from basic health insurance. You need to
ask yourself if it’s worth the costs you pay to have it and will it benefit you.
Dental Insurance
Adeline Wilson, now 70 years old,
broke her first tooth when she was in her
early 40s. She thought she lost a filling.
It was quite a surprise when her dentist
informed her that she needed a crown
as was the cost – around $600 at the
time. According to the American Dental
Association (ADA), “a crown can cover
a tooth to help restore it to its normal
shape and size. A crown can make your
tooth stronger and improve its appearance.”
Unfortunately for Wilson, that was
the first of many. Her dentist provided
a brochure on dental insurance, but as
she read through it, and what it covered,
it wasn’t worth it. So, she created her
own insurance. Each month, she paid
the dentist $100. When the next tooth
broke, she was covered. She also used
the money toward regular cleaning and
X-rays.
What would it have cost her if she had
insurance? I asked Ron Jacobson, LTCP.
He started selling insurance in 1982 and
began to specialize in senior health care
in 1986. He also works with the Maryland
Health Connection, the state insurance
marketplace for the Patient Protection
and Affordable Care Act (also known
as ObamaCare), and keeps his hand in
working with individuals, families and
small employer groups. Because of all
this, he has a great overview of what’s
going on with health care insurance.
When queried about dental insurance, Jacobson explains it like this. “You
must have health insurance,” he says,
“because, if you had a major illness,
you could lose your home. Not true with
dental insurance. The problem is that it
doesn’t don’t provide enough coverage
to justify the premiums. And you usually
have to be on the plan for at least one
year before you can put in a claim. You
should also check with your dentist to
see if he or she accepts any insurance
plans and, if so, which one(s).”
Maryland Health Connection has four
companies that will provide dental insurance.
• CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
• Delta Dental
do is help you budget your expenses.
And, so you know, if you have medical
insurance through the Maryland Health
Connection, policies do include pediatric
dental and vision coverage for children
under age 19, just not for adults.”
As for Wilson, her most recent crown,
replacing the tooth she broke on New
Year’s Day, cost around $3,000. Unlike
previous breaks, this one required root
canal, which the ADA defines as “treatment necessary when parts of your tooth
become inflamed or diseased.” Instead
of paying her new dentist a fixed amount
each month, she opened a separate savings account and transfers the money
there.
• DeltaCare USA/ Alpha Dental
• Dominion National
“CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield,
“Jacobson explains, “doesn’t really save
you much. You have to be on the plan
for 12 months before it covers major
work like crowns, bridges or root canals.
So, with a $51 a month premium, you’ll
pay $600 that first year. What it does
Vision Insurance
The first thing Jacobson told me
is “the Maryland Health Connection
doesn’t even offer this type of insurance.
“Vision insurance,” he continues,
“only covers a small part of your costs.
Add-on insurance,
continued on page 31
