Various Dental Insurance Plans
What are the various dental insurance plans?
None of us wants to go into a dental emergency but sometimes we all need insurance. There are many different dental plans and each one is different in terms of cost, coverage, services offered, and benefits. When you're trying to choose which plan is best for you it can get confusing but with our guide below we hope it will help you know what questions to ask before finally choosing which plan will be right for your family.
What is dental insurance?
Dental insurance is a type of health insurance that provides coverage for dental care services. It is used to pay for some of the costs associated with routine dental care such as cleaning, prevention, root canal treatment, and filling teeth. Dental insurance policies typically protect you from unexpected expenses at the dentist like emergency visits and accidental hospitalizations. This means that if someone in your family has a toothache or they get one of those nasty strep throat infections you will be able to take them to the dentist without worrying about how your family will pay for it. Some dental insurance plans include doctor's visits, x-rays, preventative care visits, and such other care as well.
Which dental insurance plan is right for me and my family?
In order to make a decision about which plan you should choose, you first will want to determine what coverage you want in the form of low cost and high cost plans. With that said there are many different things that dentists will tell you about each specific plan so it may vary from one dentist to another as to what they are going to outline for each option. The three main categories of plans are: Preventive, Primary, and Major.
The following is a list of the different dental plans that are available to choose from:
Preventive dental insurance : This plan covers routine checkups, cleanings, fluoride treatments, and x-rays to keep teeth and gums healthy. It also covers child checkups for children to make sure they have healthy teeth before they start school. Preventive dental plans also have good coverage for oral cancer screenings.
Primary dental insurance : This plan covers basic procedures such as fillings, endodontics (root canal), extractions, and oral surgery to keep teeth in full function. Primary plans may be required for middle class people who need more than what their secondary insurance but not as much as what a major plan will provide.
Major dental insurance : This plan covers more extensive procedures such as crowns, dentures, implants, root canals, and tooth extractions. Major plans are for people who need expensive work done on their teeth or have severe dental problems that need regular treatment.
If you're worried about not being able to afford dental coverage then be sure to check your employer's benefits guide because it can tell you whether or not your employer offers dental insurance through the company. If they don't offer it then you also may be eligible for low cost government programs such as Medicaid or CHIP to help provide coverage for your family. In fact in 2014 over 20 states decided to expand Medicaid so that more low-income families could qualify for it.
How much does dental insurance cost?
The price of a dental plan will vary depending on the company and the specifics of the program. Some plans are more expensive than others while others are less expensive. The cheapest dental plan may have a lower coverage amount as well as a higher deductible than a more expensive plan. Cheaper plans also tend to have higher coinsurance rates which means that you're expected to pay more out-of-pocket toward your care when getting treatment. Make sure you check out the plans before deciding on one.
The cost of dental insurance will depend on the type of plan you choose. There are three main categories: preventive, primary, and major. The following is a list of the different costs for each category:
Preventive dental insurance can cost as low as $1 per day or $50 or more each month depending on what coverage you choose. The cost of a preventive plan all depends on what it is that you require along with whether your employer offers this type of plan or not.
Preventive plans are good for those who don't have good dental health such as people who don't brush frequently or fail to floss. Preventive plans often have a higher annual maximum cost and may not include any forms of extractions or fillings. Sometimes they only cover x-rays as well which is less than you would expect from a full preventive plan.
Primary dental insurance can run between $30 to $100 per month per person depending on where you live and what type of coverage you choose. The price tends to be higher for families that need more extensive treatment such as root canal treatments which are generally more expensive procedures than most other procedures covered by primary dental insurance.
Major dental insurance can cost between $70 to $200 or more per month. Because major plans are for more expensive procedures you can expect to pay more than with a primary dental insurance plan. Major plans are for people who need major work done on their teeth such as crowns, dentures, implants and such other things in order to keep them healthy even though there could be some complications with these procedures in the future due to the previous damage that was done to their teeth.
What is dental network?
Dental network is a way of describing which dentists and specialists work with each specific plan. Each dental insurance company has a list of dentists and specialists on their network where you can go to get the services you need. A few factors affect whether or not an individual dentist is part of the network and if they participate in the dental insurance coverage plan that you're trying to get. An individual may decide to opt out of the plan if they feel that they can offer clients better rates than what the insurance company is offering them.
Some dentists may also choose not to participate with a plan because they couldn't come to an agreement with the insurance company about how much to charge for each service which tends to be different depending on whether or not it's a preventive, primary, or major procedure.
Conclusion:
Dental insurance will cover most dental procedures and procedures that are considered preventive such as cleanings, checkups, teeth filings, x-rays, etc. Most plans will also have some form of coverage for more extensive procedures like root canals and other things if you have serious problems with your teeth or have oral cancer. The coverage amount may vary greatly so be sure to do your research on the plan you are considering. The cost of dental insurance will vary depending on your needs as well as the company that you choose to purchase it from. As a general rule the lower the cost of care is then the less coverage you're likely going to get with that plan.