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Yak_Rodeo t1_ivffvk1 wrote

lol they are encouraging you to vote yes because they will get paid more. it benefits customers and dentists

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NoMoLerking t1_ivfugv2 wrote

Not quite sure why you’re being downvoted. Obviously it would be good for dentists if more money from every dollar in premiums were spent on dental care.

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Yak_Rodeo t1_ivfvcq1 wrote

who knows, im not saying that dentists shouldnt get paid but its pretty obvious they want it to pass because of that

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Maxpowr9 t1_ivg394l wrote

Dental insurance is a joke and has been for decades. I'm not saying dentists are saints either but insurance companies are basically scum.

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Wtf_is_this1234 t1_ivfw0ta wrote

Is it good for consumers though? I see zero reason to think it actually is.

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NoMoLerking t1_ivfxog5 wrote

Sure. More money will go toward claims. I suppose it’s also possible they could cut premiums but since that would hit total revenue I doubt it.

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Jimmyking4ever t1_ivggxek wrote

You're absolutely right. If I pay the insurance $100 and they will refund to me anything they don't use below $80 how could I benefit?

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Wtf_is_this1234 t1_ivgh2ga wrote

Because it's not gonna happen. They have to spend 80% of all the premiums they collect on claims. How much you as an individual use is completely irrelevant.

Dentists will just charge the insurance companies more so any cost savings will evaporate.

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modernhomeowner t1_ivh12j1 wrote

Exactly, there is a reason the dentists PAC is supporting it, premiums are likely to go up so their expenses meet the Medical Expense Ratio, and dentists will be the ones profiting, no change to the insurance company, just more cost to you and me.

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HobNailBoots1 t1_iviwurc wrote

Wtf_ dentists cannot charge insurance companies more simply because they are restricted to the insurance companies UCR fees..

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Jimmyking4ever t1_iw6bwuw wrote

The people against it probably believe private insurance decreases the cost of medical costs lmfao

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peteysweetusername t1_ivgcxh4 wrote

Not necessarily. If the reimbursement for my root canal goes from 50% to 80% than the dentist still gets the same amount of money, it’s just less money coming out of my pocket. Also if it’s between insurance companies getting my money vs a small business owner like a dentist office, my votes on dentists 100%

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Comfortable-Scar4643 t1_ivgw3t8 wrote

Let’s hope all of this will result in more cost transparency. I would vote for a law that requires dentists to publish rates for all procedures.

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peteysweetusername t1_ivgwrkw wrote

You can’t ask?

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Comfortable-Scar4643 t1_ivh1wbs wrote

Of course you can ask. But I’d like to choose between a couple different dentists before I’m in their office. I also find that I’m met with a blank expression when I ask him how much something will cost. It’s almost like I’m being rude by asking how much something I am buying will cost. I find many of these dentists and their staff to be incredibly obtuse.

Dentists are always wondering why people don’t wanna go to the dentist. Sure maybe it’s the pain, but maybe it’s that people get raked over the coals and every last dollar in their wallet gets sucked out by some greedy dentist.

I work in retail, and people are always asking me how much my products cost. I don’t complain. I tell them straight up. Who gives a shit. Some will and some won’t. But I’m tired of these people trying to hide how much it costs. You experience at the car dealership too. Everyone hates going to the car dealership also. And that’s why.

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HobNailBoots1 t1_ivix0nw wrote

Comfortable-scar. When you ask how much something is to a dentist it’s a bit like damaging your car and calling a shop and saying how much to fix my car… the dentist would need to take X-rays and examination to give you a cost.

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gel_retardation t1_ivhip8a wrote

The long and short of that is just that it depends. Specialist care will generally cost more, some teeth benefit from certain types of filings/procedure versus others, it also depends on what fees are contracted by insurance, in network vs out, and that's not even counting the different ways each dentist might approach a problem. One doc may suggest sometimes herculean effort to save a tooth, another may think it's not worth the investment of time and money. It can be confusing and misleading to quote prices online or over the phone (but staff will do it if you know the specifics). Dentists need to evaluate teeth in person before they can quote you accurate numbers though and I can't tell you how many people have the wrong idea of what they think they need.

As far as the astronomical cost of dental care (really Healthcare in general), that's a convo for another day

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[deleted] t1_ivfl2uq wrote

[deleted]

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becausefrog t1_ivfopl1 wrote

People with insurance that doesn't pay well don't get all the dental work done that they need, they just get the bare minimum. The more the insurance pays, the more work people will get done which means more money for the dentist.

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sardaukarma t1_ivfr930 wrote

I’m ok with dentists doing more work and therefore receiving more pay. Seems alright to me.

Fucked up that your teeth are considered “luxury bones”

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Wtf_is_this1234 t1_ivfuy4z wrote

This would be fair if dentists were somehow underpaid. They are not, they never have been and they make most of their money on cosmetic stuff.

If dentists get paid more, that cost just gets shifted by the insurance companies onto consumers. The insurance company will not sacrifice at all, despite what the people behind this question would have you believe. The insurance industry literally doesn't care what dentists charge, as long as the customer is willing to pay the premiums.

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Lemonio t1_ivg6yxy wrote

Doesn’t it require that a certain percentage go towards claims? They can’t increase their margins just by increasing premiums Sure they can make more revenue total by increasing premiums but the same is true without this change

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Jimmyking4ever t1_ivgh6sp wrote

It's just like when the US had a tax on corporations 79 years ago.

If the business (insurance company) doesn't provide services using 80% of the revenue they receive they lose out on that money and have to pay it back.

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Snoo_97625 t1_ivfomon wrote

People won't go if they can't afford it. So far the only time I've seen a dentist in the last ten years was when I went to the students for free.

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9Z7EErh9Et0y0Yjt98A4 t1_ivgizyb wrote

I'm not seeing how this is going to help dentists negotiate better procedure rates with the insurers.

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