As Canadians we are lucky to have Health insurance cover most of our health care needs. Most does not include certain therapy, prescriptions, dental and so on. I wish it did.
Taking the kids to the dentist without coverage is sometimes a nightmare. On our last visit I felt relieved to find out my children are cavity free. That is until the assistant tells me the Dentist needs to chat with me.
He tells me that two of my children need to see an orthodontist. One is time sensitive and the other is cosmetic and really can wait. The cosmetic one is my oldest. She needs to get braces and it is only on the top. As she is older, this can be done at anytime without any changes from waiting. the other is time sensitive because my son has a cross bite. Where his teeth on the top over lap the teeth on the bottom. But not in the front, on the side. This can be easily fixed with an appliance like a retainer. That is as long as we get it done before he grows anymore and his bones get stronger. At that point it will be more difficult to fix.
After waiting for weeks, we finally got a phone call to book an appointment with the Orthodontist. The lady on the phone tells me the appointment wil cost $80 per child and certain X Rays will be extra if needed. Wow!That is pricey. I asked her to hold off on booking the apt and I called my family dentist back. I explained that this is too much for a consultation and as much as I value their professional opinions this will be difficult for us to swing. The dental assistant made a few phone calls to Orthodontists that they highly recommended and found me a deal. I am not one to price shop when it comes to my children’s health, but this is just a consultation. I believe you get what you pay for and I understand consultations are a professional service. We had three Orthodontist offices come back willing to give us a lower price.
The office we booked our appointments with have agreed to see both the kids for $100 saving us $60 right off the get go. as well all X Rays are included. This was one thing that worried me. The unknown . I am happy with this agreement and my dentist recommends this Orthodontist as highly as the pricier one. Sometimes I think the higher prices are based on location and overhead as well. This is not the first time I have received a deal with healthcare.
Did you know when you get prescription medication you can ask the Pharmacist for a less expensive generic brand? My Pharmacist explained to me that there is no difference and that it usually is just packaging and name that is different. Same goes with pain relievers medication you can purchase. Check out the ingredients next time you are in a drug store.
Other places you can ask for a “better price” are your phone and cable companies. They are always adding new packages and offers for new customers. If you ask if you can get a better package or price than you already have you can save big.
I understand not wanting to be cheap. But when you have a family on a budget, there is nothing wrong with being frugal 🙂
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