Cost of Childs Braces....Health Cover Etc..

[MacLeods]

I have been advised by our Dentist that my son will need Braces in approx. 4-5 years time and I can expect to pay between $8 to $10K

In Orthodontist fees. So...she suggested I start saving or get Private Cover.

 

I’ve never bothered with the Private Cover for anything before and have paid as I use Services, however, this Quote seems extreme so I was thinking of getting

cover which includes dental for all the family plus eye tests, nothing Major just enough to benefit from going Private Long term and cover the cost of maybe an operation if i needed one.

 

We are two adults and One child, in reasonable condition, with no previous owners……

 

Any suggestions would be welcome and also does the figure my dentist has given me stack up ?

 

Many thanks

Miche

[Ktee]

We took out insurance and my son needs braces soon we were quoted $6000 so shop around as each dentist has their own prices.

The maximum we can claim back is $1000 per year. However the orthodontist told us that he would start treatment in December as the new year for BUPA starts in January so we should get a $1000 in December and a $1000 in January.

[star123]

hi just going from our experience, my daughter needed braces, went off to a recommended orthodontist who quoted 8000 i nearly fainted!! so went off for a second opinion and was quoted 2000 !! we obviously went with him (price i would assume would vary patient to patient tho) he delivered first class service and was bloody fantastic!! we do not have private ins and spoke to him about this, his advice was, do not bother lol, for what we would have had to pay in premiums per month and then what percentage we would get back from health ins was not worth it in his opinion mind you, some health funds only cover bout 2000 of the cost so i believe (someone may correct me on this) so basically every time we visited him for brace treatment we paid couple of hundred dollars each time so that by time treatment was finished we had paid his Bill off, worked for us and my other daughter needs braces this year and of will do the same again, everyone is different with what they require for dental cover but for us this was the more cost effective way of doing it :-)

[Ktee]

$2000 is great can I ask who this was with? Its even worth us flying interstate at this price.

[MacLeods]

hi just going from our experience, my daughter needed braces, went off to a recommended orthodontist who quoted 8000 i nearly fainted!! so went off for a second opinion and was quoted 2000 !! we obviously went with him (price i would assume would vary patient to patient tho) he delivered first class service and was bloody fantastic!! we do not have private ins and spoke to him about this, his advice was, do not bother lol, for what we would have had to pay in premiums per month and then what percentage we would get back from health ins was not worth it in his opinion mind you, some health funds only cover bout 2000 of the cost so i believe (someone may correct me on this) so basically every time we visited him for brace treatment we paid couple of hundred dollars each time so that by time treatment was finished we had paid his Bill off, worked for us and my other daughter needs braces this year and of will do the same again, everyone is different with what they require for dental cover but for us this was the more cost effective way of doing it :-)

 

 

Thanks for your reply , can you let me know the details - thank you

[Guest BurgessFamily]

Worth noting that the likes of Medibank have limits on how much you can claim for Orthodontic treatment.

 

"$1,000 opening balance top up of $500 per year up to $3,000 lifetime limit"

 

http://www.medibank.com.au/healthcover/insurance/extras-range/top-extras-85.aspx

[Ktee]

Worth noting that the likes of Medibank have limits on how much you can claim for Orthodontic treatment.

 

"$1,000 opening balance top up of $500 per year up to $3,000 lifetime limit"

 

http://www.medibank.com.au/healthcover/insurance/extras-range/top-extras-85.aspx

 

Same with BUPA unfortunately

[zebedee]

This is one area I still feel truly "vulnerable" when it comes to living in Australia.

[LemonLimeBitter]

hi just going from our experience, my daughter needed braces, went off to a recommended orthodontist who quoted 8000 i nearly fainted!! so went off for a second opinion and was quoted 2000 !! we obviously went with him (price i would assume would vary patient to patient tho) he delivered first class service and was bloody fantastic!! we do not have private ins and spoke to him about this, his advice was, do not bother lol, for what we would have had to pay in premiums per month and then what percentage we would get back from health ins was not worth it in his opinion mind you, some health funds only cover bout 2000 of the cost so i believe (someone may correct me on this) so basically every time we visited him for brace treatment we paid couple of hundred dollars each time so that by time treatment was finished we had paid his Bill off, worked for us and my other daughter needs braces this year and of will do the same again, everyone is different with what they require for dental cover but for us this was the more cost effective way of doing it :-)

 

Hi, can you give us the name of the dentist, please.

[Guest BurgessFamily]

This is one area I still feel truly "vulnerable" when it comes to living in Australia.

 

I have to agree, I recently had a checkup and they decided to replace a filling with a porcelain one = me $500 lighter, even after Medibank cover.

[Guest css]

hi just going from our experience, my daughter needed braces, went off to a recommended orthodontist who quoted 8000 i nearly fainted!! so went off for a second opinion and was quoted 2000 !! we obviously went with him (price i would assume would vary patient to patient tho) he delivered first class service and was bloody fantastic!! we do not have private ins and spoke to him about this, his advice was, do not bother lol, for what we would have had to pay in premiums per month and then what percentage we would get back from health ins was not worth it in his opinion mind you, some health funds only cover bout 2000 of the cost so i believe (someone may correct me on this) so basically every time we visited him for brace treatment we paid couple of hundred dollars each time so that by time treatment was finished we had paid his Bill off, worked for us and my other daughter needs braces this year and of will do the same again, everyone is different with what they require for dental cover but for us this was the more cost effective way of doing it :-)

 

Wow, that's a great difference, please could I ask which dentist this is and where it is and also when ? I'm sure my daughter will need a brace very soon.

[Guest BurgessFamily]

we do not have private ins and spoke to him about this, his advice was, do not bother lol, for what we would have had to pay in premiums per month and then what percentage we would get back from health ins was not worth it in his opinion mind you

 

do you bother with ambulance cover?

Edited July 7, 2013 by BurgessFamily

[star123]

do you bother with ambulance cover?

 

hi,yes we do, $130 for us all for the year, the dental service we used was southern dental services down in morphett vale :-)

[Guest BurgessFamily]

we currently have the extras which gives us 70% back, and costs us about $19/week for a family of 4. I think it's been value for money so far. Last year as a family we used the $1000 annual limit on major dental (one of my sons fell of a scooter and broke some teeth, as well as me and the wife getting work done).

 

I guess it depends if they give two different prices, for with/without cover.