Dental insurance

You need to make dental and medical visits to countries like China, India and the Philippines. That is, if the procedures and price tags are rather significant in The States. If you do your research there are some good providers in those countries and probably other nations too. The airfare would cost more than the procedures.

People are lining up at especially designed medical facilities/hospitals for things like heart surgery. If something will cost $100,000.00 in America with no insurance support it's going to cost around the equivalent of $5,000 in India. That's a ballpark guesstimate.

I have dental issues. There is a very good clinic in Shanghai. I had a lot done there including several root canals. But after many medical issues this past year I couldn't afford the expense of a permanent bridge there. (It would cost $1,250 --not much in America, but my wages are only slightly above Chinese in this area) I am on my second temporary. It has been very uncomfortable. Tomorrow I will be getting a prep for a permanent bridge. It will cost around $400.00. Everything is included in that price.

The office here is not as impressive or as sophisticated as that in Shanghai, but much more affordable. Downside:The x-ray tech looks like George Raft.

 

You get what you pay for. Heart surgery for $5,000 in India? Their economy is not that far behind the U.S., yet they charge a twentieth of U.S. costs for heart surgery? And it's probably invasive at that, cracking your rib cage, prying it apart -- that's utter nonsense when there are hospitals in the U.S. doing "RotoRooter" surgery of the heart arteries much like they do angioplasties and angiograms. And that procedure is not only non-invasive, it's less expensive, too.

Don't go looking outside the U.S. for medical care. You can't find it safer or better anywhere. Sure it's expensive, but like I said with that first sentence above ...

For Dental, contact Delta Dental in your state. They've got individual plans and they are probably the best dental coverage insurance company in the country.

 

I work with a Cardiology practice performing stress tests.
The United States is performing less than 10% of the open-heart bypass surgeries that it did 20 years ago.

Hospitals have protocols that put those with chest pain at the top of the list for care and starts a clock for treatment so that major damage to the heart is reduced.
Stress testing has allowed us to identify patients at high risk of cardiac events and preemptively fix the stenosis before a heart attack.

Fixing hearts is a numbers game; it's worked by possibilities and percentages.
Sure, your doctor may have been able to fix your heart blockages with stents but the smaller the vessel, the more likely the narrowing would return.
Who knows, you may have been visiting him every year or two for another angioplasty until eventually a decision would by made to perform bypass.


Re: dental insurance – my wife is a hygienist. Most insurances pay the dentist so small an amount that those that accept it are not the ones you want to see!

If you can find a dentist that will allow you to pay for your care and accept insurance, that would be better.
Most routine visits are covered or at minimal charge.
Crowns, root canals, root plaining would still be costly but not as much. as without insurance.

Better choice: regular tooth brushing and flossing generally keeps the major costs down. :saint:

Rob

 

I know some back yard dentists who will clean and pluck your teeth.

 

You can get a plan with Delta Dental for 30-50 bucks a month depending on the level of coverage you'd like. 6 month waiting period on covering cleanings, year waiting period on major work.