>One of the problems is that most dentists charge a different price for the same service to every patient. They charge one price for cash and the other prices typically depend on the price he/she agrees to charge when associated with each insurance carrier. If my insurance carrier agrees to accept a charge for 70.00 for a filling then he will charge me 70.00 plus my deductible. If you have the same service done but your insurance carrier agrees on an acceptable cost of 75.00 then he will charge you 75.00 plus your deductible for the same procedure.
Definitely at least two ways out:
- charge them a regular consultant fees for the time wasted on shopping around
- haggle
- wait until I have at least three teeth worth fixing (per capita), then fly home and take my pick. The total cost of flight would be about $700, plus about $20 per tooth. Ten years ago, my wife replaced 13 teeth with porcelain (don't dare say 'china' :) for a total of $500. May be even cheaper today - and that's with private dentists, not the state insurance backed health system. With the state, depending on the state of disrepair of the system (thanks a lot, mr Milosevic, you killed a good thing), it may be about half cheaper and probably equally good, but with less options, cruder equipment, old chair, bad heating, in a crummy old building, waiting in line for a couple of hours and generally being in bad mood.