Dental Insurance vs. Discounted Dental Plans
Oral health and maintenance of the same is a very important part
of a healthy lifestyle. Prevention and correction of dental
problems on time is essential to stem the damage to one of the
most important organs of the human body. Many people do not
realize the importance of maintaining their oral health. Most
Americans who do are without effective dental coverage. This is
mainly due to cutting costs by major businesses effecting
employee dental benefits. People who are used to regular
maintenance of dental health are looking at options where they
can get dental benefits. One main question on their minds today
is "How benefits differ between Dental Insurance and Discount
Dental Plans?"
Dental insurance is not available for individuals and families.
Is traditionally a coverage offered by employers to their
employees who pay monthly premiums for fixed coverage. This kind
of coverage has drawbacks - ceiling on spending, deductible or
non-reimbursable issues, and waiting periods for certain kind of
dental procedures, limitations and care or disease exclusions.
This kind of coverage also involves submission of claims. Dental
Insurance traditionally covers preventive dental services like
cleaning and routine examinations at 100% after deductibles are
adjusted (they may vary from $20-$50 annually per individual).
However, the choice of the dentist is up to the individual and
premium is about $30 a month for individuals and $100 a month
for families.
Discount dental plans on the other hand offer dental benefits to
everyone and are designed to give access to the dentist networks
at discounted rates. They are also known as reduced fee dental
plans or affordable dental plans. They are easy to join and does
not involve any paperwork. Discount dental plans are generally
membership programs that provide coverage on an annual basis
with monthly membership fee. Consumers get secured discounts on
dental services like exams, routine cleanings, extractions, root
canals, fillings, dentures, and braces. They save the consumer
10-60% percent off standard fee of visiting a participating
network provider or dentist.
The traditional dental insurance and discounted dental plans can
also be clubbed together in certain situations to maximize
savings.