[lostapathy]

Dental insurance is even worse. My dental insurance has ridiculously low limits, but it gets you access to the "real" negotiated rates rather than whatever silliness "retail price" is.

I tried going without when I switched jobs to an employer that doesn't offer it, but one cleaning as a "cash payer" cost more than the annual premiums to buy insurance privately.

[crazygringo]

> but one cleaning as a "cash payer" cost more than the annual premiums to buy insurance privately.

This is my situation too. It's baffling to me. It's not really "insurance" at all, it's more like a yearly Groupon.

It's 0% about actual insurance, 100% about negotiated rates.