MOST fucking unhappy.

[per_solo]

Well, I can switch to the PPO plan, for dentists, at work. This will give us a much wider range of dentists to go to (Pretty much any that we can find), as opposed to the 4 or 5 dentists that is with our current plan.

The cost? Oh, pretty much just the amount that was my Merit Increase (What I call my COL increase), PER PAY. It was fine, when it was my Increase, per month...

Work is, once again, pushing Flex Cash...they always seem to state that Flex is a GREAT idea, but they never seem to want to stress that if you don't use the money that's in there, then you lose it...TOTALLY gone. They do try to point out that you can use money in there to buy Asprin, various other OTC drugs, Contact Lens Fluid...but, who the fuck wants to buy all that at once? One time for the year, then you're done. Because, why oh why would you buy it when you could have a big medical expense? Why would you even chance not having that money there for a big expense?

In short, I'm irritated...REALLY irritated. And I almost thought to put this behind my work cut (you know, the one where I don't have to worry about friends spreading word of my discontent back to my boss), but I figure I'll use honors system here.

This doesn't need to get back to my boss. If you spread this to him, just do me a favor and unfriend me first. This, combined with my protected post of a week ago (or so), is just enough to make me want to sleep..for a week.

Thank God that vacation arrives in just over a day.

Comments

[echoweaver.livejournal.com]

Any reason you can't use the 4 or 5 dentists on the HMO plan? Don't like them?

Flex spending accounts are great if you know you're going to have a big expense, like some sorts of dental work or eye lasering, which can be scheduled somewhat flexibly. You can have the work done in January and then pay for it all year. However, it doesn't help you much if you have a big expense that's also an emergency. You could certainly total up the number of dentist visits you expect to have next year and put those on a flex account, but keep in mind that you're only getting that money tax free (20x% - 30x% off) rather than a copay or somesuch. Then again, with insurance premiums so high, this is probably much less expensive than insurance.

[per_solo]

They are traditional dentists, and well, I'm scared to death of dentists. Every dentist that was recommended to Savidya for her same issue, I checked, and they aren't on our plan. HOwever, for $14 per pay, we can go to pretty much any Dentist we'd want. I'm still sorting this in my head, but that's part of why I posted...getting this stuff out of my head helps..and being able to put it here is part of why it helps.

[echoweaver.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. To be honest, I think the answer is to face the fear of dentists. Now, I'm picky about my dentists too. I want to have one I can trust and who will answer my questions -- same as a doctor. I think you can't really ask for more than that. A sedation dentist is going to be very expensive. I'm not convinced an alternative dentist will have anything more to offer than some bedside manner.

Now, it does sound like the one Savidya went to was a beaurocratic disaster. If there is a dentist with a small practice on your list, I'd try him out.

[per_solo]

the one I'm looking at now is..

http://www.grindentistry.com

SOUNDS good. However, none of the good doctors recommended our on our plan...And yeah, that probably fits more under bedside manner, but I have some pretty bad memory of "normal" dentists from my childhood..well, that and the fact that I wish they'd warned me that fillings come out after 15 years or so. :-P

[echoweaver.livejournal.com]

Well, it sounds good, but I'll bet the reason it's not covered is that it's expensive. Often, the reason that the practice isn't on the insurance is because the practitioners want more profit than the insurance companies are offering. A service like this is going to rely on the fact that many people are scared enough of dentists to pay for this service out-of-pocket.

Then again, $14 per pay period isn't all that bad for a PPO if it matters that much. Is $14 per pay period really your whole raise?

[per_solo]

:-) For the Raise information, go to the March 9th entry...That much I won't put out in public.

Yeah, $14 per pay isn't that bad..and I think the deductible is $50 at that rate...ah well. It has to be done.

[echoweaver.livejournal.com]

BTW: If you don't want this post to get back to your boss, I recommend you lock it.

[per_solo]

:-) Well, that's the amusing part. The difference between this post, and the work locked one isn't that big. If the post from the 9th didn't get back to him, and this one does, then that nails it down. I'm not to worried right now, and just pissed off enough at the world in general not to care.

[echoweaver.livejournal.com]

Nails down what? Who's ratting you out? Does it matter?

[per_solo]

NOBODY is ratting me out. I'm just still sore over the ass jumping I got when I first decided to get the LJ (You remember that well).

Ultimately? None of it really matters, yet all of it matters. (Yeah, genius commitment boy here).

I don't like feeling like I have to lock everything down, or I'll be narced out to my boss...however, if I have to lock down the varied pieces of my life and journal, I can do that, too. :-) I just prefer not to.

[awe-struck.livejournal.com]

I love flex spending accounts, but I have different experiences than you. Keep in mind that the money is there can be used to pay for the part of the dentist that your insurance doesn't cover. Look at what you spend on perscriptions and other items, like glasses and other things and see if it is worth your while. My old employer only required $300 a year, so that was easy to hit. SA says they require $3000 here. I wouldn't do it if the limit were that high, but if it is lower, I would certainly think about it. Yes, you lose what you don't use. The idea is not to put away more than you can use. Of course, with E and my glasses perscription, we are close to $1000 even with vision insurance.

[katmandu07.livejournal.com]

I hate going to the dentist...have had bad experiences, but Dr. Jeffery Golder here on the southside is awesome.

[the-pixie.livejournal.com]

Per, sorry to hear about the insurance situation. Seems like everything is going up right now except people's salaries.

As for the flex cash thing, if you know that you're going to have a specific amount of expense per year for this, it's a great thing. Personally, since our medical fluxuates so much (eg, last year going to the allergist every month for 6 months and this year not being to the doctor yet), I prefer not to use it. I think that personally for families it's a great thing (for at least at my work, you can also take child care out of it), but I personally prefer to chance per year how much is going to be medical expenses. If by chance I come up with a big medical expense, I hope that my insurance covers some of it and then I work out with the company a payment plan to pay off the rest of it.

As for your vacation, have fun with it...Don't think about work while you're away... We all need time away to regroup.