My dentist bill and Care Credit

Until two days ago I had never heard of Care Credit. Now that I have, I am just not sure how I feel about it. For the past 18 months I have been battling a dental abscess. The pesky problem has been kept at  bay until our finances were more in order. My hope had been to pay for the care with the combination of savings and our healthflex card.

Then, the wedding hit and that put a dent into everything. We tried very hard to please our daughter but doing so left no room financially. Last minute costs put the event into the stratosphere. Most of all, it created small holes created a deep financial well.

It was bad news when my tooth began hurting again. My dental insurance was pretty well maxed out for the year. Our healthflex account had less than $150 available. Waiting any longer to have the dental problem taken care of was no longer an option.

My dentist was sympathetic but straightforward. She laid out the options and had an employee bring me an application for Care Credit. This is essentially a credit card for health care. Like any other line of credit, you fill out the form and wait a few minutes for approval. Whatever amount you are approved for goes strictly to pay for healthcare.

It is an answer for immediate heatlthcare services that I'm glad about. However; I am smart enough to know that my dental work isn't really "paid for". The payment recipient has just shifted. Instead of a lump sum payout to the dentist I now get to spread the cost out over several months. It may sound good but it might not be.

According to the promotional terms from Care Credit, if the account is paid in fully during a set time frame then there is not interest. However; there's a catch. If it isn't paid in full within the specified time, then the interest backdates to day one. This means getting hit with a huge increase in cost.

The Care Credit website spells it all out and the payment schedule isn't pretty. Paying off some other bills has left a little room in the budget. We can make the payments but it will be close. 

For me, it looks like the line of credit is both a blessing and a curse. Holding the work off until January wasn't an option but financing isn't that great either. I wish that there had been a middle ground. There wasn't so we'll have to see how it goes.

Health care without worry is something that everyone needs to have. I feel privileged to have dental insurance. We didn't have it for a long time (which is why I'm having these problems) and I grew up without it. I think that there has to be a better way and hope that someone will come up with real options. Until then, the Care Credit or physical pain are sometimes the only option that people have. Neither are ideal.