A Fact: Seventy-five percent of Americans do not have any type of individual dentalplan coverage. For those who haven't been paying attention, procedures are getting more expensive everyday. If you are in a position to purchase any type of discount dental plan, or insurance you will be money ahead to cover rising dental costs.
Having dental insurance is the best scenario, period. Mainly, it covers many of your costs based on a fee schedule, usually excluding cosmetic procedures. For example, if a dental cleaning is $100.00, the insurance company may pay anywhere from seventy to one hundred percent of the cleaning bill.
Another example, if you or a member of your family needed a crown and the cost was $1000.00, the insurance may pick up fifty percent of the cost. However, most people are not in a position to have insurance. Mainly, because it is usually only offered through an individual's place of work, or if available through some other source, and the cost is usually prohibitive.
On the other hand, what is called a dental discount plan is readily available to anyone. And, the best part is; it's very easy on the pocketbook.
A quality discount plan works just about the opposite of insurance. Dentists that participate in any given plan offer discounts on procedures. A good comparison is; that very similar to Costco or Sam's Club. You purchase a membership card and that entitles you to buy products or services at discounted prices.
An example, the normal cost of a crown maybe $1000.00, a participating dentist of a discount plan may agree to a 20 percent discount. This would mean that you would save $200.00 on that procedure. In some cases, you can save up to sixty percent depending upon the procedure.
Another thing to consider is cosmetic dentistry; dental insurance usually doesn't cover it. If you are in the market for denture implants, braces, porcelain veneers, a discount plan may be a better bet.
Based on your financial situation, purchase the type of plan you can live with. Will it be dental insurance, or will it be a individual dental plan? In short, you don't have to be among the seventy-five percent that do not have any type of dental coverage.
Dental Insurance For Braces
Did you know that medical and dental insurance are not the same? Since most dental diseases are preventable, many dental insurance plans focus on preventative care. Medical diseases are often unpredictable and sudden. Therefore, medical insurance covers the expenses of diagnosing and treating illnesses.
If you have medical insurance, you may not have dental insurance, and if you do, it may not be sufficient coverage. This is where supplemental dental insurance becomes important.
Some dental plans allow you to receive your dental care from any dentist you choose, often referred to as an "open panels." Other dental plans are called "closed panels" because you must choose your dentist from a specific list of providers. There are two main types of closed panels. One type of closed panel plan is a Preferred Provider Organization or PPO. This is when you receive dental care from a provider who is on your plan's list, or "in network," you are charged lower fees than if you choose a dentist from out of the network.
The Exclusive Provider Organization, or EPO, is the second closed panel plan. In this plan, you are only allowed to receive your dental care from a provider from a participating dentist. In some cases, there are exceptions for emergencies or when traveling, but generally, any care received from a dentist outside of the network will not be covered by the plan.
Supplemental dental insurance plans are also different in how the payment is made to the dentist. Some plans may require you to pay a certain percentage of the dentist's fees when services are received. Other plans require you to pay a set co-payment. In some cases, you will need to pay the entire cost of the dental services yourself and then be reimbursed later by your insurance provider.
There are several questions you should ask when considering supplemental dental insurance.
1. Am I limited to a certain list of providers or can I choose my own dentist? This is an important issue to consider, especially if you already have a dentist with whom you are satisfied.
2. How do I pay for my dental services? Be sure you understand whether your plan requires you to make co-payments, charges you a fixed percentage, or requires you to pay for all of your services before reimbursement.
3. What services are covered by my plan? When do theses services begin? How often may I receive these services? Some supplementary dental plans allow preventative and diagnostic benefits to begin immediately while requiring a waiting period before other benefits begin. The waiting period can depend upon the service. For example, restorative services such as fillings may have a six-month waiting period, while coverage for crowns and root canals may have an eighteen-month waiting period.
Choosing a quality supplemental dental plan may seem like a difficult task, but it is an important one. You should take the time to read every detail. Ask your plan's administrator questions you may have. The more you learn about your supplemental dental insurance options, the better choices you will make.
Both Thom Richards & Al Landry are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Thom Richards has sinced written about articles on various topics from Hair Care, Dental Insurance. Thom Richards is the author of many dental oriented blogs and lenses. You can get more detailed information at: http://www.squidoo.com/full-co. Thom Richards's top article generates over 9900 views. Bookmark Thom Richards to your Favourites.
Al Landry has sinced written about articles on various topics from Get Rid of Bed Bugs, Dental Insurance and Web Development. To find the best supplemental dental insurance plan requires some time and effort. DentalPlansReviewed.net is a great place to compare plans, benefits, and costs. You can even enroll online. GE, Aetna, Patriot, and Unicare are some of the dental insurance. Al Landry's top article generates over 33100 views. Bookmark Al Landry to your Favourites.
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