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4 Important Facts About Dental Insurance
Posted by | Posted in Dental Health | Posted on 22-02-2010
Dental insurance is considered as a supplement for individual health plan or part of an employer sponsored group health plan. By having a dental plan, one is able to seek for dental care whenever he or she needs. This type of insurance provides financial freedom for people with the main purpose of maintaining oral health at low cost.
According to the statistics in year 2008, it has shown that more than 30% of Americans did not pay a visit to the dentist. This indicates that many Americans do not know how good a dental coverage is. Now, let’s take a closer look at some of the important facts about dental insurance.
Fact No.1
There are two main types of dental coverage; i.e. Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO) plan and Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO) plan. A PPO dental plan is a traditional program which you can select your dentist from the broad universe of dental providers. On the other hand, a HMO dental plan is a managed care program which you are limited to choose a special network of providers only. The PPO plan is not common in United States as its cost is very high.
Fact No.2
In the market, there is no one dental plan that provides comprehensive coverage for all kinds of dental treatments. The exclusions can be in the form of restriction on the number of visits to the dentists, dental providers and the types of treatment.
Fact No. 3
It is not difficult to obtain affordable dental coverage. Federal government employees can obtain affordable dental insurance through the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program. For people who are working in private sector, they can refer to the local banks or credit unions that offer dental plans and discount cards.
Fact No. 4
Without dental coverage, the minimum amount you need to spend on filling, dental cleaning or X-ray is about USD 200.
There is an important point you need to bear in mind. All dental plans in the market differ from one to another. As a result, you need to make sure that you know what type of plan you have obtained.
Watch the video related to dental insurance
www.QuitOurbanIdeas.com offers Premier Access Dental Insurance for employees dental care insurance.
Help answer the question about dental insurance
Is there affordable dental insurance available for a teacher that missed the sign up date for state dental?I have state medical insurance in Mississippi, but I didn't sign up in time for the dental insurance. Is there a good company that would charge a reasonable rate for dental insurance?
Back to the basics — you need to check with the company the dental insurance is through – that's step #1. Preventative treatments include cleanings, x-rays – things to prevent major problems down the road. Major treatments would also have to be defined by the insurance company – an example would be a root canal, crown, bridge, etc (most of which I'm sure you don't need if you're young and have taken good care of your teeth). A $225 deductible means that the first $225 of any/all treatments (new patient exams, x-rays, cleanings) would have to be paid by YOU — after you've paid out $225 out of your own pocket then the insurance will kick in a certain percentage! Good luck!! Read carefully between the lines and if it sounds too good to be true – it usually is!
I would encourage you to visit this website: http://www.healthsavings.ourperfectcard.com I signed up online about 5 years ago now for all my dental work. They have saved me thousands throughout the years from Root Canals, extractions, exams, x-rays, cleanings…etc. All services are included in this very affordable plan. They even had my benefits active in 2 hours and able to use them the same day. Good Luck and Hope the Helps.
You need to talk to an insurance agent and find out what policies s/he can find you that will cover the work you need to have done at a premium you can afford. No other way to know. until you get some quotes and read the policies. (Read the policy before you sign.)
You have five options with dental.
1. Go without insurance. If you have good teeth and just want the basics you probably don't need any plan. A yearly cleaning and exam and even an occasional filling and X-ray will cost you less without insurance.
2. Visit a local dental school. You can get many procedures done for a reduced price if you're willing to let them practice on you. You can find one here: http://www.yourhealthplanadvisor.com/Dentalschools.html
3. Insurance – Depending upon the policy: cost $30-$60 per month per person. You pay a $50 deductible first, they have an annual maximum that they'll pay per year of $750 – $1500, they have a waiting period up to 18 months for major work and then you're paying 50% of the charges. Example – average cost for a root canal in my area is $919. With insurance you pay $460 after paying 18 months of premium (around $800 or $900). Advantage – you can use any dentist with most plans.
4. Discount plans – Cost – $5-$12 per month. No deductible, no annual maximum and no waiting periods. Also, hardly any dentists will accept the plan and when they do you MIGHT get a 10% discount, which is about the same discount you can get by paying cash. Example – average cost for a root canal in my area is $919. With discount plans you pay around $827. Be very wary of these plans because most are scams. The people that sell these plans have little or no knowledge about health & dental insurance and do not need a license to sell them. The plans are not regulated by the state so you have no recourse when you have problems. Some states are starting to ban these plans from being sold. Here is an informative link http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2006/11/22/74554.htm concerning these plans.
5. Fee for Service discount plans – Cost $7-$15 per month. No deductible, no annual maximum and no waiting periods. Many dentist will accept the plan (check providers first before signing up with any plan). When you use the plan there is a set fee that the dentist will charge you. Example – average cost for a root canal in my area is $919. With fee for service plans you pay as little as $404.
I'm an insurance agent and my personal plan is the fee for service plan. I got mine here http://www.dpbrokers.com/default.aspx?locationid=20349 specifically the Aetna Dental Access plan but which one you get depends upon your area and comparing the fee schedule to find the best for what you need covered.
Hi
Dental insurance as the name suggest covers only dental related procedures. It depends on the policy sometimes it is supplemental to health insurance in general or just as a stand alone policy.
I would encourage you to visit this great website: http://www.healthsavings.ourperfectcard.com I signed up online over 5 years ago and they have saved me thousands of dollars on all of my dental services since. From exams, extractions, xrays, fillings, Cleanings..etc Even my braces. They even had my very affordable benefits active in 2 hours and was able to use them the very same day. Good luck and Hope this helps
Actually, the only time the copays are so low for health insurance is when you're dealing with those high-dollar plans provided by a lot of employers. (At least those are the types of plans that were provided be employers in the past; that's changing significantly because of the cost involved.) Trust me, these are FAR from the "norm."
As for dental insurance, the fact is that there are nearly as many organized networks for dental providers as there are for medical providers (where belonging to as many networks as possible is the best way to ensure you keep new clients coming in to your practice.) Dental insurance, by comparison to what you pay for medical coverage (particularly of the variety you mention) is also CHEAP. And I don't know very many people who would pay triple the price for dental insurance so they could get the $10 copay. In the end, it's really that simple.
Write a polite letter of complaint to the Commissioner of Insurance for your state – at your state capital. Copy to your insurance company's Vice President of Health Insurance Claims – or some similar person. The insurance company is required to respond to the commissioner within 30 days. Every day after 30 that they are late, costs them $. You should get a prompt response. But, remember to be polite. You will still have the same insurance company. Most claim adjusters are over worked but real people.