Without dental insurance, the cost of oral healthcare is enough to knock the smile off your face. Like every other insurance, it reduces the out-of-pocket expenses you incur from dental services and sometimes covers otherwise expensive procedures.
While we can’t rank insurance according to its importance, dental coverage should never be disregarded. Even if your medical insurance pays for your oral health services, I advise you to look into a standalone dental policy. Here’s why.
What is dental insurance?
Dental insurance covers the cost of oral health care and basic dental services. Depending on the procedures you choose, this plan requires you to pay deductibles, coinsurance, or copayments. However, some employers offer this benefit to their workers at no cost.
Unfortunately, dental insurance is not part of most people’s workplace benefits. If you belong to this group, you can easily source the best policy from a reliable dental insurance company. You can also purchase an individual plan or a group plan if you want a discount price.
How does dental insurance work?
For starters, you have to pay premiums up to a certain limit to qualify for a dental policy. As a policyholder, you can either work with in-network service providers or receive care from non-contracted dentists.
Dental insurance operates on a 100-80-50 payment structure. This means the plan covers 100% of preventive care costs, 80% of basic coverage, and 50% of major procedures.
It’s important to note that the dental policy covers mostly preventive procedures. Services like cosmetology, and teeth whitening are not under this coverage. However, you can still access this by paying a higher deductible.
Types of dental insurance
In your search for an effective policy, here are the major types of dental plans you will come across;
Preferred provider organizations
Known as a PPO plan, it provides access to a large network of dentists who have previously agreed on their contract terms with insurers. On this plan, you are not limited to the in-network providers.
However, opting for non-contracted dentists can cost more because they are not party to the discounted rates.
Dental Health Maintenance Organizations (DHMO)/ capitation plans
For the DHMO plan, you are free to choose a primary dentist to cater to your dental needs. All dentists receive early payment for patients under their care. To this end, they render services for free or at a reduced cost.
Indemnity plan
The indemnity plan is also called a ‘fee for service plan.’ Here, insurers pay claims according to the cost of services you get. Also, Policyholders get to choose their dentists or pair with a PPO without restrictions.
Point of service plans
Patients on this plan can also opt for the services of a non-contracted dentist; however, the benefits will be lesser than what the in-network provider offers. A low table of allowances decides the reimbursement plans here.
Discount or referral plan
We can’t classify this as a regular insurance plan because it doesn’t cover reimbursements. Instead, employers make arrangements with a network of dentists to offer discounted services to employees. Patients pay the expenses, and there are no dental claim forms to file in this case.
Exclusive provider organizations
There are conditions to receive reimbursements on the EPO plan. Only patients who work with in-network dentists will be eligible for this coverage. More so, it does not just restrict your choice but also the quality of treatment you access.
Table or Schedule of allowances plans
Regardless of the actual charges, there’s a fixed amount for each procedure. Patients are responsible for whatever extra cost they incur. They may work with the PPO to limit the maximum allowable charge.
Benefits of dental insurance
- Access to preventive dental care: With dental insurance, you can afford to get preventive dental care. These include routine checkups and timely cleanings. From here, you can detect other issues early to avoid complications
- Covers expenses from dental care: It cushions the cost of oral healthcare and provides reimbursement for treatment expenses. Dental insurance providers also offer several purchase plans to reduce the financial burden of buying coverage
- Saves time: As a policyholder, you can access a network of professional dentists. You will no longer waste time and resources searching for effective dental services.
- Improves your overall health: The state of your oral health directly affects your overall health. Medically, most oral health ailments lead to other conditions like diabetes and heart conditions. It’s easy to diagnose several diseases from the mouth, which means dental insurance is vital for your general well-being.
Conclusion
Overall, dental insurance is crucial to obtaining quality oral health care and maintaining a bright smile. Ensure you check out a couple of policy providers and compare quotes before making a purchase.
