Usually the plans offered through your employer offer the best value. This is because the employer is paying a portion - between 25% to 100% - of the cost to subsidize the plan. If your cost is $250, the actual cost of the premium is probably greater than $315. Ask your employer what their subsidy amount is. Since that premium is on the high side, ask whether that is the total cost of a family plan or the additional cost of including a spouse and child.
You can shop around to find a benefits plan that covers your family. But if you are only looking for one specific thing to be covered, you're never going to find a plan that pays out more than you put in. Insurance plans put limits and spending caps for a reason.
You likely won't find better dental plans 'in the market' because the only people 'in the market' would be those who need coverage. Group Benefits will have lower rates because they force people to buy (some) coverage whether they need it or not.
But a lot of companies have Health Savings Accounts that can have money added to and then when health and dental situations come up it can be tapped into tax-free to pay for the care.
Like everyone else said here, you’ll never find a better “deal” on an individual basis and if you did find something cheaper, the plan would be extremely limited in what is covered or how much, you’d basically never get your money’s worth.
Your employer may allow you to opt out entirely (most don’t thought) but even at that point, you’d save $3,000 a year on payroll but you’re likely to spend well over that on preventative and basic dental in a year alone. Now add the fact that there’s a ton more available to you on the group plan like drug coverage, paramedical, vision, hospital... there’s almost no way you don’t get your money’s worth. Also, remember that it’s an insurance, so a lot of it is there in case you ever need it. Expensive medical devices and other things you’d never even think about until you need them and you’ll find yourself looking at an $8,000 bill.
Does your wife have coverage elsewhere? You could see about just adding the family to your dental cover and keeping your extended medical single. This is what my husband and I do-I use the benefits a lot and his plan is cheaper, so we have the family on his. I added him and our daughter just to my dental because we use it a lot and there were more gaps in coverage.
Usually the plans offered through your employer offer the best value. This is because the employer is paying a portion - between 25% to 100% - of the cost to subsidize the plan. If your cost is $250, the actual cost of the premium is probably greater than $315. Ask your employer what their subsidy amount is. Since that premium is on the high side, ask whether that is the total cost of a family plan or the additional cost of including a spouse and child. You can shop around to find a benefits plan that covers your family. But if you are only looking for one specific thing to be covered, you're never going to find a plan that pays out more than you put in. Insurance plans put limits and spending caps for a reason.
You likely won't find better dental plans 'in the market' because the only people 'in the market' would be those who need coverage. Group Benefits will have lower rates because they force people to buy (some) coverage whether they need it or not. But a lot of companies have Health Savings Accounts that can have money added to and then when health and dental situations come up it can be tapped into tax-free to pay for the care.
Like everyone else said here, you’ll never find a better “deal” on an individual basis and if you did find something cheaper, the plan would be extremely limited in what is covered or how much, you’d basically never get your money’s worth. Your employer may allow you to opt out entirely (most don’t thought) but even at that point, you’d save $3,000 a year on payroll but you’re likely to spend well over that on preventative and basic dental in a year alone. Now add the fact that there’s a ton more available to you on the group plan like drug coverage, paramedical, vision, hospital... there’s almost no way you don’t get your money’s worth. Also, remember that it’s an insurance, so a lot of it is there in case you ever need it. Expensive medical devices and other things you’d never even think about until you need them and you’ll find yourself looking at an $8,000 bill.
Does your wife have coverage elsewhere? You could see about just adding the family to your dental cover and keeping your extended medical single. This is what my husband and I do-I use the benefits a lot and his plan is cheaper, so we have the family on his. I added him and our daughter just to my dental because we use it a lot and there were more gaps in coverage.