How do so many lower income families afford braces for their teens?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They pay for it before retirement, 529, etc. - the other places you are putting your money.

This. Chances are, they aren't saving for retirement or putting money into emergency savings or a college savings account. Low interest loans or monthly payment plans make it easier too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We’re a two parent house, college educated, decent careers. Even with supposed good insurance we really struggled to pay for braces for our two oldest. My youngest daughter plays on a cheap YMCA sports league and it seems basically every lower income teen her age has braces. Meanwhile we’re still saving $ to put her in braces. Where do they all find the $ for orthodontia? I’m at a loss as to how this is possible.

I'm struggling to understand how you can't come up with $3K - before insurance.

If you have two incomes, and decent careers - where is all of your income going.

[Anonymous]

Flexible spending account

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re a two parent house, college educated, decent careers. Even with supposed good insurance we really struggled to pay for braces for our two oldest. My youngest daughter plays on a cheap YMCA sports league and it seems basically every lower income teen her age has braces. Meanwhile we’re still saving $ to put her in braces. Where do they all find the $ for orthodontia? I’m at a loss as to how this is possible.

I'm struggling to understand how you can't come up with $3K - before insurance.

If you have two incomes, and decent careers - where is all of your income going.

I wonder that too.

[Anonymous]

Medicaid and CHIP cover kids’ braces in some cases. Depends on the state and severity of the issues. There are also charitable organizations that fund braces specifically.

[Anonymous]

Payment plan, go without. I don't see where two college educated working professionals cannot afford braces. Or, do you claim $150K is low income? Even at $90K, its something you know is coming up and you budget it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re a two parent house, college educated, decent careers. Even with supposed good insurance we really struggled to pay for braces for our two oldest. My youngest daughter plays on a cheap YMCA sports league and it seems basically every lower income teen her age has braces. Meanwhile we’re still saving $ to put her in braces. Where do they all find the $ for orthodontia? I’m at a loss as to how this is possible.

I'm struggling to understand how you can't come up with $3K - before insurance.

If you have two incomes, and decent careers - where is all of your income going.

I wonder that too.

They probably overstretched on their house and other expenses combined with having more kids than they can afford.

[Anonymous]

I think it depends heavily on which orthodontist you are seeing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe they budget and save better than you do?

So working poor parent(s) making very low income, can’t afford the $80 fee for the sport their children play (YMCA waives it under certain income), but they can afford $4,000-10,000 for orthodontics per child? Some of these very low income teammates themselves have braces and have a sibling in braces. That’s an absurd amount of money.

[Anonymous]

In my nephew's case (mom is a single parent making $40K in a high col area), his ortho uncle did it for free.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They probably get it for “free” (#yourepayingforit).

Yep. This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re a two parent house, college educated, decent careers. Even with supposed good insurance we really struggled to pay for braces for our two oldest. My youngest daughter plays on a cheap YMCA sports league and it seems basically every lower income teen her age has braces. Meanwhile we’re still saving $ to put her in braces. Where do they all find the $ for orthodontia? I’m at a loss as to how this is possible.

I'm struggling to understand how you can't come up with $3K - before insurance.

If you have two incomes, and decent careers - where is all of your income going.

Two years of braces and everything is not $3k - more like $5k+. And even if it was, that’s more than their car is worth, in some cases.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They probably get it for “free” (#yourepayingforit).

Okay, how? I don’t want to pay another $7k.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They probably get it for “free” (#yourepayingforit).

Okay, how? I don’t want to pay another $7k.

The same way they qualify for their food stamps. They don’t work.

[Anonymous]

I see the signs advertising braces with your Medicaid card in another language I speak. I do not have personal experience so don't know if it really pays or not.