Dental insurance plans are insurance designed to pay the costs associated with dental care. Dental insurance pays a portion of the bills from dentists, hospitals, and other providers of dental services. This helps people protect themselves from extreme financial hardship due to unanticipated expenses for dental care.
Sadly, as stated by the American Dental Association (ADA), less than half of the United States population is covered by any dental insurance plans. Those who do have dental coverage often get it through their employer as part of their health insurance plan. Depending upon the type of medical coverage you have, it may be a good idea to have a compatible program to eliminate any gaps or overlap within the two plans. By doing this, you will receive preventative dental care as well as the advantage of saving money.
However, a lot of doctors find it unpleasant to participate in dental insurance plans. This is because it generally means less pay for more work (especially paperwork). So that you can receive the benefits that you need while not paying for features that you will not use, it is important to assess your situation and purchase adequate coverage. Restrictions such as pre-existing conditions are and just about all dental insurance plans so it is important to keep this in mind.
The most common types of dental insurance plans are either Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) or Dental Health Maintenance Organizations (DHMO). PPOs and DHMOs are both types of managed care and, therefore, both dental insurance plans have disadvantages and advantages.
Even though dentists provide their services under these plans and have negotiated an what they charge with the insurance companies, all fees are generally not covered. The difference between what the dentist charges and what the dental insurance plans cover is what is referred to as the "co-pay". Furthermore, dental insurance plans will generally have a maximum amount that they will pay per year.
If your employer is paying the monthly premiums for the dental insurance plan and the dentist you use is part of the PPO, this might be an attractive option.
Based on medical HMOs, DHMOs offer other dental insurance plans. Here, too, the patient is enrolled in a program and can visit any dentist in that program. However, dentists may end up having to provide services at 'below cost' rates, and not be able to spend as much time with each person as a PPO could offer. In a DHMO, volume matters more than quality, and so dentists are often driven to spend less time with their patients. Due to lack of time, even though a patient will eventually be seen and treated, there is no true relationship between the dentist and the patient. If you want to be seen by a dentist who takes time with his or her patients, this may not be your optimum dental insurance plan.
Non-Insurance Dental Plans... An Alternative to Dental Insurance Plans
In these types of plans, commonly called Reduced-Fee-For-Service or Discount Plans, participating dental providers provide care at a discounted rate to the plan subscribers. These types of plans began in the early 1990s, and they offer benefits such as braces, fillings, exams, and routine cleanings in exchange for a discounted fee to its members. Members typically receive a discount of 30%-35% off retail prices.
Contrast to traditional indemnity-based and dental insurance, these discounted dental plans have no annual limits, no health restrictions and essentially no paperwork. In addition, consumers must pay either a monthly or yearly membership fee in exchange for the ability to get these discounts on dental services. These dental plans will provide a price list on either their website or in membership materials so that consumers know that they are receiving the savings that they were promised.
For example, your typical discount plan would point you to a dentist who has agreed to participate in the plan that would only charge, say, $650 for a crown instead of the standard rate of $800 to $900.
Discount dental plans are configured for groups, families and individuals that wish to save money for their dental care. Participating providers have agreed to accept a discounted fee from plan members as payment-in-full for services performed. In general, plans are active within five business days and sometimes even on the same business day.
Even if you have a discount dental plan, if you are not covered by any dental insurance plans, you might be liable to dental providers for a substantial amount of money. For example, you would still be liable for $1500 if you receive a 25% discount on a $2000 dental bill. When dental work is completed, payment is due, so it is very important that you be prepared to pay your entire bill before leaving.
Before Purchasing a Discount Dental Plan
You should know the answers to all of the questions below before you purchase any type of dental coverage, whether you are choosing a non-insurance discount plan or are one of the many traditional indemnity-based dental insurance plans.
*** Request a list of participating providers in your zip or area code
*** Contact each provider that you intend to visit to make sure they still participate in the plan
*** Ask the provider the normal fees are for anything you are interested in having done
*** Make sure the provider offers the promised reduction in fees
Understand that dental discount plans are not subject to regulation by state insurance departments. However, just because they are not regulated by the state does not mean that they aren't legitimate but you should remain cautious when signing up in one. You should ask if a licensed insurance company is offering the product and verify with the insurance company if you are unsure if you are purchasing insurance or not. There is now a state licensed dental discount plan available in California and Arizona.
Article Source: http://www.orbitaloc.com/
Ed Brancheau, The Insurance Egghead, assists individuals, families and businesses find dental insurance plans. Visit his website, The Insurance Egghead, for tons of free advice and guides about health, dental, vision, accident and life insurance.
Please Rate The Above Article From The Personal Category
Article Title: Dental Insurance Plans... The Secrets
Not yet Rated
Syndicate Personal Related Articles Via RSS!
Subject to Orbitaloc.com's Publisher Terms of Service, you may reprint this
article on your own website, blog, and ezine. (English only) You may also syndicate
the article via Really Simple Syndication (RSS). It is free of charge.
Free Articles on Personal and Other FREE Content Article Topics
The preceeding is an informative article from the Personal category.
