ABCDiamond

Which fund do you use, which plan and what does it cost ? That does sound very good.

Gibbo

NSW Teachers Federation Health Society. Top level cover. My filing system is so good(??) I can't put my hands on my last statement, but it is around $90 per month single and so around $180 for families. It is apparently one ,if not, the best in the country. Their rebates generally are excellent.

ABCDiamond

Is it available to anyone, or just NSW Teachers ?

Gibbo

Only teachers and their children - just like the Credit Union - which is also great. The children can still avail themselves of the services when they are no longer minors.

ABCDiamond

That expains it !

I've been looking at various plans, but can never find anything that seems worthwhile.

eg: Medibank Private Smart Choice Extras cover, For an annual premium of $460, has a General Dental annual limit of $800 - (Combined General Dental and Endodontic Services).

I end up feeling it isn't worth it.

I just looked up these example Insurance based benefits, from your Teachers fund site, as I can't find the figures on the Medibank site:
Fixed benefits apply for each item or service, for example:
Fillings - Metallic
1 Surface $44
3 surfaces $67
Adhesive restoration
1 Surface $53
3 surfaces $75
Scale & clean up to: $39
Simple Extraction: $55
Surgical Removal $100
Consultation up to: $33
X-Rays: Single up to: $22
Diagnostic cast up to: $28
Fluoride treatment up to: $20
Plaque removal up to: $23
Mouth guard (item151) up to: $68

So....
My normal cleans cost $70. Insurance would pay $39, leaving me to pay $31.
X-Rays cost $35. Insurance would pay $22, leaving me to pay $13.
One Filling and One Tooth Removal cost $110. Insurance would pay $99, leaving me to pay $11. That one's not too bad.
Diagnostic cast cost $44. Insurance would pay $28, leaving me to pay $16.

But then again, it is insurance, just in case the worst happens: So the bottom line is:
I pay them $460.
Say I get dental bills of $2,000, they pay $800, I pay 1,200. So the total cost for the year is $1,660, saving me $340.

I need a plan like yours with no annual limit

jayr

I went out and registered with an NHS dentist before coming to Oz and had my whole mouth done (I needed a fair bit of work and knew it) and the total cost was capped (as were my teeth!) by some NHS upper limit. I'm sure it was under GBP400.

Had a root canal done here and all in cost was $750, including initial doctor visit and pescriptiion painkillers (why do these things always happen when the dentist is shut?) as well as filling, x rays etc. etc. Whilst a lot of money I thought it was reasonably priced. Going by Cresta's costs I'm happy to advise any one who wants to fly up to my dentist to save a bit of money!

jayr

Where's Quinkana to advise on how to do this at low cost by yourself??

jensteve

Just rang a local dentist, she said
check up $30-35
scale and polish inc in check up $60-65
she suggested some form of dentistry cover, as she trys to charge little over what you would get paid back, nice I thought.
She also said something about HBF and if you are new to the country the waiting rule until you can claim is waivered, but only if you take the insurance within so many weeks of arriving. This I have got to see.....

Does anyone know if you can get just child cover for ortho work?

I haven't needed anything doing to my teeth in 20years, it seems a shame paying for insurance when the chances are I wont be needing it but my son will.

Jenny

Quinkana

Gawd, even have to fix Pom's choppers for 'em:

"All teeth can be exchanged for free of charge if our teeth ar not compatible to what you have now. Just mail them back and state: bigger, smaller, lighter or darker) and we will mail your new ones right out to you with free shipping."

DENTURE REPAIR KIT

optus

Get it done before you come, it will be a lot cheaper.

Optus

ABCDiamond

Or.... have a stopover in Asia on the way here, and get them done there

cyclemark

I can vouch for this. As you have said, if you join HBF within a certain time of arriving in Aus(from memory it's either one or two months, but I am not 100% certain) then you are exempt from the qualifying periods for benefits. This is well worth it as for some benefits the qualifying period is 12 months.

As is the way of these things, we didn't discover this until it was too late...

ABCDiamond

If you live in Sydney area then HCF may be a good insurer, as they have their own Dental centres:

They have centres at:
Sydney Dental Centre,George Street
Parramatta Dental Centre
Chatswood Dental Centre
Hurstville Dental Centre
Bondi Junction Dental Centre
Brookvale Dental Centre
Blacktown Dental Centre

renth

Are you sure about this?

Or might you be getting confused with the Lifetime Health Cover loading which kicks in after the age of 30 where the premium goes up 2% for each year you are over 30. THIS has been waived for new migrants (over the age of 30, natch) providing they sign up to private health within 12 months of arriving.