What are folks who are planning to take COBRA medical coverage going to do for dental insurance? Any insights or recommendations?
14 replies (most recent on top)
We dropped the coverage as we went to out of network dentist. They never covered full cleaning and xrays. Terrible dental plan...good bye.
My sister is a dentist and root canal specialist, so no need for dental insurance for me.
Dental and vision coverage are overrated in my opinion.
Dental Insurance is not really insurance, its some coverage . It pays up to a certain amount, and that's all , I'm just going to pay out of pocket, the monthly cost pays for 2 teeth cleanings per year, so what's the point. The normal deductible covers about half of one root canal, if you use it. Same with vision: Kaiser gives free eyes tests and all we have to do is pay for glasses. The only think we really need is medical coverage of some kind, so don't end up being bankrupted by exorbitant hospital bills if the worst happens. The other way around the problem is to go to Mexico for medical if its problem.
You can get Dental Insurance through COBRA. The monthly premium resulted the same as the pre-65 retiree premium under the Chevron Plan. I retired from Chevron in 2016 after being laid off. I had dental insurance through COBRA for the 6 months I received the subsidized premiums. I later signed up for Dental Insurance in the next Chevron open enrollment period. My Dental DHMO premium for pre65 retiree and spouse was $30.70 and since is today. The 2021 premium will remain the same too. I have my medical coverage through a different source. I plan to enroll in the post-65 Chevron medical plan when I turn 65 and become eligible for lower premiums under a Medicare Advantage Plan.
Chevron retirement bene's don't allow just dentist, but I called Cobra and they added for the exact same cost, so even though excluded as subsidized, impact is still same and you get dental through cobra via simply asking them...
I just reread the site. Medical, pr-scrip-ions, and mental health are the only benefits covered by the enhanced severance cobra coverage. It specifically says dental is not covered nor is vision. Again, this is the chevron cobra enhanced severance program and you can read it on the severance page on the intranet.
Same here, wrt earlier post
“ I left the company with the Accelerated EOI in July, and elected COBRA coverage. It DOES include dental, as well as vision.”
I left the company with the Accelerated EOI in July, and elected COBRA coverage. It DOES include dental, as well as vision.
I guess you could pay Chevron's cost and your cost and keep the insurance. Its not that great but would at least keep you covered.
Me too.... just paying out of pocket.
If you need any major dental work done I suggest you hurry and get it done now.
I’m just going to pay out of pocket. Unless you need a lot of dental work done the insurance isn’t that great anyway.
But they are not covered as part of the enhanced severance package. Going to the dentist before my dental benefits are stopped
Dental benefits ARE covered by COBRA. See page 2 of ‘good to know: what happens to my employee benefits when i leave chevron’ dated January 2020