Hi,

I need to go to see a dentist soon but I don't have dental insurance. I live in CA and I am on TPS. I do have Medi-Cal but it doesn't include. If I get a dental insurance, I am not sure how that works because I have an existing condition.
Please let me know if you have any suggestions.

Thank You!

If you already been to a doctor for same treatment than that refer to existing condition. If you never been to doctor, take dental insurance today, wait for 4-5 days (if you can ) then go to the dentist, it should cover.

Please check your inbox, if those options work for you. Get well soon.

Are pre-existing dental conditions covered?

Most pre-existing conditions are usually covered. The exceptions would be for congenital conditions and cosmetic treatment. Often, missing teeth are excluded as well. Coverage is generally provided on a no-loss/no-gain basis; however, any expenses for treatment started before an enrollee’s eligibility are the responsibility of the previous carrier. Since each contract can vary, it's best to verify coverage through your contract.

Is treatment-in-progress covered?

We will cover claims for procedures started and completed after the enrollee’s coverage effective date. However, we do not cover procedures started prior to the effective date of your plan’s coverage. See the Orth

I got this information from my insurance company's website (united healthcare)

What kind of procedure you are trying to do? Teeth removal?Basic cleaning?
in my opinion dental insurance are just plain BS as it has cap limit unlike our regular insurance. Also it doesn't cover lot of other cosmetic procedures.
If it's just a basic procedure then go to near by community and ask for discount and pay cash. Dental insurance doesn't care for pre-existing condition because of it's cap. I.e if you get a bill for 10,000 and your cap is 1500 they rest of other you have pay out of pocket. That's the reason why I call it BS.

it's for deep cleaning.

depending on your situation, it might cost $500 to $2000+ (if you don't have insurance)
if you don't do on time you might loose a lot of teeth

benefit of having insurance: even if you have to pay out from your pocket, The dentist cannot charge more than the contracted fee for allowed procedures. Your insurance company will determine the fee for the procedures.

Let's say for deep cleaning
if you don't have insurance they can charge whatever they want.
if you have insurance, but your insurance does not cover for this procedure, you have to pay from your pocket. They cannot bill you whatever they want, you insurance will take care of the charges and doctor can only bill you with the contracted fee for allowed procedures (which is cheaper than the bill that you receive without the insurance).

I know dental insurance is kind of useless unless you have problem
I pay around $50 a month and only get covered for my first $1500, rest I have to pay out from my pocket. But having insurance you will not get unexpected bill. For all the procedure insurance company have set amount with the dentist that they can bill you. That's why not all the dentist take all kind of insurance, or some dentist don't even deal with the insurance at all, you have to pay cash.

"deep cleaning" is never an urgent issue. You can wait several days or even months until you get the insurance. Or, find find a subsidized clinic or a community college dental hygiene program, where they do it for cheap.

"if you don't do on time you might lose a lot of teeth" is what a private or corporate dental practice would say to make immediate money. If you go to a non-profit or to a good dentist, they will not scare you. Nothing serious will happen within days as it is a slow process to develop a situation needing deep cleaning.

No worries. I m not a dentist but I interact with many regularly.

Thanks everyone and @-.

i have been searching for a good insurance plan for the deep cleaning. Which one do you recommend or based on your experience or what you have heard?

Or even may be you can buy a cheap ticket to Nepal and get it done, if conditions allows.

go to Ameritas and check for dental plans