Sep 15 2015
I Should Have Known Better*
Meanwhile, back in Absurd World™…
I foolishly checked the mail on Friday, even though I know no good ever comes of it**, and was greeted with a dental bill for more than $100. You may remember that I lost part of a filling recently, and had to visit the dentist to get a temporary fix (and pay for that) and then the real fix (and pay again). For some reason, I believed that having insurance after about 15 years of not having any would actually make it less expensive to visit the tooth doctor, but I should have known better than that.
I called the dental insurance folks, who informed me that my luxurious dental plan only covers up to amalgam (the old school style silver) fillings, and I had a resin one put in. I asked if the dental staff should not have told me that resin wasn’t covered and offered me the amalgam option instead, and the insurance person said that amalgam fillings are no longer done.
Me: “So it only covers up to a service that is no longer provided?”
Them: “Correct.” [Pause] “It’s your responsibility to know what’s covered.”
It seems I was better off, or at least no worse off, when I had no insurance. Now I’m paying into it every month, and when I have the temerity to use it, I still have to pay. I ended up paying $200 of the $238 bill for the filling. All in all, it doesn’t seem like a great system.
*Title inspired by little Miss Marina, the Beatlemaniac. 🙂
**To be fair, sometimes there are postcards and The New Yorker.
A YEAR AGO: Random updates.
6 Responses to “I Should Have Known Better*”
I cannot believe these insurance plans, cover this, don’t cover that, makes one wonder about the system does it not? They say you should read the whole agreement when you buy a plan, but everyone knows that page upon page of agreement is not read by anyone, does anyone in the insurance company bother to explain these plans in a few sentences? No of course not.
I have great sympathy for your dealing with insurance, but that one is amazing. We only cover something that is not performed any more. Despite the sympathy I had to laugh. When I saw the title, immediately that song and tune came to mind, then to see it was a Beatlemaniac suggestion. Awesomesauce.
The Beatlemaniac in question is Guy’s granddaughter, who is 11 (I think). I love it that the Beatles’ appeal remains eternal.
As for insurance…to me, the whole problem is making it a for profit model. And I speak as someone who works at a clinic!
My son came up with the Beatles too. I even used “Hey Jude” to help him through the divorce with his mother and understand how you had the feel the music in order to play the blues. At 25 he is still a fan.
Love that story! Amazing how they continue to touch our lives.
Insurance companies are there to ‘make’ profits, not to help out the people they
are supposed to be helping out…. Soon unfair….. disgusting, in fact.
I seem to remember that our son-in-law went to a Clinic where dental students
worked on patients under the supervision of an expert. I thought at the time
what a good idea this was.