A visit to the dentist can mean both physical and financial pain, especially if you’re over 50. A Saga Health Insurance poll has found that, for more than 13 million people, the cost of treatment is the worst thing about the dentist’s chair, besides the pain – more so than appointment delays or lectures about not brushing enough.
A recent report by consumer group Healthwatch highlighted the struggle many people have just finding the right dental care. However, the Saga survey of more than 10,000 people shows that the Saga generations are more concerned about how the cost of treatment can lighten their wallets.
Among the gripes over 50s have about seeing the dentist, bills following an accident leave 59% feeling down in the mouth. That’s followed by getting a suitable appointment (7%), delays in seeing a dentist (6%), being lectured about dental health (5%) and the hassle of not having a dentist in their local area (4%).
Four in ten people over 50 say they have had to fork out for emergency dental treatment following an accident or infection and on average they have had to pay £228. That’s one of many reasons why Saga Health Insurance has launched its Health Cash Benefits Cover, an option that provides up to £900 cash back per year for various health costs, including dental care, optical care and health screening.
Health Cash Benefits Cover is available as an optional extra on all Saga’s Health Insurance policies and costs from £16.95 a month.
Saga Health Insurance has also introduced a Fast Track Appointments Service to its suite of policies. Customers with an open referral from the GP will be able to use the appointment service to quickly identify the best consultant for them based on their expertise and location; we will then be able to book the appointment for the customer, saving them the trouble of arranging this themselves. The Fast Track Appointments Service is available on all cover levels.
Roger Ramsden, chief executive, Saga Services: “Health bills shouldn’t be like pulling teeth. Our new Health Cash Benefits Cover has been designed to help take the sting out of everyday medical bills.
“People can get up to £900 towards the cost of a range of dental and optical treatments, as well as health screenings for things such as diabetes and osteoporosis, for the price of a small monthly premium; it is actually very simple to claim back more money than you have spent in premiums.
“The Fast Track Appointments service is good news for people who dislike the process of searching for a consultant and then navigating their way through the hospital booking system.”
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