Last year, our firm offered a dental plan to its employees for the first time. Until last month, however, I was on my husband's dental plan for years, so I didn't subscribe until this month, since my husband left his job. One of my co-workers found out to her shock and chagrin that she would have to be on the dental plan for more than twelve months before she could have a crown. She did not know this in advance and in fact, her dentist's office was remiss in that they claimed to have done a pre-determination and apparently, they did not and proceeded with the work anyway. This cost her $1,300.
My question is, is this the way it is being done now? We have Aetna. In essence, it forces you to pay for the dental plan for more than a year before you get services beyond the basics. I am on the committee to choose insurance and somehow we all missed this detail. I'd like to know for future reference if there are better plans available out there that will cover major services in the first year. You never know when a tooth will crack or whatever. I am pretty disgusted to find this out, and I feel that I and my fellow employees are being ripped off.