Insurance Woes

A few months ago I was told by my dentist that I was going to need a root canal and then a cap on my # 30 molar. I would have rather broken every bone in my body. The dentist just so happens to be one of the SCARIEST places I can imagine. Seriously, if some maniac-psycho-killer like in the Saw movies were to torture me, the could just get out a dentist chair and a couple of those scrappy tools and you would have me begging for mercy.

So I was referred to a different doctor, and endodontist that specializes in root canals located in Fort Wayne. I had a friend drive me there because I was too scared to go by myself. I handed over my identification and insurance cards once I was in there. At the end of the appointment I told the receptionist that I had no idea how much my insurance was going to cover, so she had me pay the standard 20% of the total up front. A week later I get a paper in the mail from the insurance company telling me that I have not had the insurance for a year yet and they do not cover any dental procedures except for routine cleanings until you have held the insurance for 1 year.

Oh shit! That's expensive! My parents offered to pay for 1/2 of the bill, which was gladly (albeit guiltily) taken. And I made the decision to live with the uncomfortable and sometimes unbearable pain of the raw tooth until December when my insurance would cover the procedure. When I talked to the insurance company they informed me that before they would cover any part of any so called extensive procedure, they require a predetermination estimate from the dentist's office.

Then I get another unexpected letter from the insurance office. Apparently they received the predetermination estimate from the dentist's office and they are only going to cover $60.00 of the total bill. (The total bill is nearly $1000. And this is after I already paid the $1100 for the root canal.)

So here is my question...

Why the hell am I paying for insurance that is basically worthless? I can afford to pay $70 every 6 months to have my teeth cleaned. What I can't afford are the unexpected $2000 bills. I understand it is something that needs to be done, but for crying out loud...why am I paying for the dentist to drive a Land Rover? Seriously!

I guess I am just going to have to keep putzing around in my sad Jimmy or even sadder Malibu until all of my dental problems have been resolved before I can get a new car.

So I am exaggerating just a little. But I am sure that there are way more people out there that have the same problem that I am facing. I have even considered asking for cash for Christmas to help me pay for this thing! And I think I may just cancel my dental insurance altogether. It would be cheaper to pay for my bi-annual cleanings outright than to pay out of my bi-weekly paycheck for the coverage that has proved itself useless to me.