Posts Tagged ‘Dental insurance’
Problems With Dental Insurance Plans
Dental insurance plans assist people with paying for the costs of dental services. However, since many dental insurance plans only cover 50 percent of the dental care costs, consumers must carefully weigh a plan’s benefits with its costs.
By understanding some of the common problems with dental insurance, a consumer can determine whether a specific dental insurance plan will meet her needs.
Premium Cost
The premium cost of dental insurance varies widely, depending on the specific coverage provided by the policy.
Consumers should look back at their total dental spending for the past year and compare that against the yearly cost of the dental insurance premium for the policy under consideration.
Consumers should also consider factors — such as needed dental work — when making a purchasing decision about dental insurance.
Limited Coverage
Many consumers seek to buy dental insurance when they have a pressing need for dental work. However, many dental insurance policies limit the amount of coverage during the first year the policy is in place.
For example, a policy may pay 50 percent of the costs of some services, but it will only pay 20 percent for these services during the first year. Consumers should carefully review the documentation provided with the insurance plan to determine what limitations are initially in place.
Even beyond the first year, dental insurance plan coverage amounts will vary greatly. Consumers should determine how much the policy will pay for a variety of services to determine how much benefit they will receive from the coverage. Read the rest of this entry »
The Average Cost of Dental Insurance
Forty-six percent of the U.S. population does not have dental insurance, according to figures released by the National Association of Dental Plans. Whether individually purchased or employer-sponsored, three types of dental insurance exist, each varying in cost and benefits.
DHMO
Individual coverage through a Dental Health Management Organization (DHMO) averages $13 per month. DHMOs are excellent for preventive services, usually covered at 100 percent, but tend to limit the types of major and restorative services by either paying less (50 percent) or not covering at all.
PPO
The 2008 report of the National Association of Dental Plans states that the average PPO dental insurance plan costs $30 per month, per individual.
PPO plans pay a set price for “preferred” doctors within their network at a set percentage, most commonly 100 percent for preventive services, 80 percent for basic and restoration, and 50 percent for any major service. Plans vary and less coverage lowers the monthly cost.
Indemnity Plans
Indemnity plans, also called “fee-for-service” plans, are the traditional insurance types, rarely available for individual purchase and provided mostly by large companies.
The average premium is $40 per individual on a monthly basis, and services are covered at any dental practice, allowing more freedom to pick and choose providers. Coverage amounts vary and maximums are usually capped at $2,000 per year. Read the rest of this entry »
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About Dental Insurance
Dental insurance is the most commonly used to pay for major dental problems. Instead of paying the full cost of a dental procedure, you can pay the fraction of the cost.
Procedures that are usually covered under dental insurance include fixing a broken tooth, an extraction or even a dental abscess. To help prevent dental issues, dental insurance is used to take care of most of the costs for preventive services as well.
Function
Dental insurance pays the costs of taking care of your dental needs. Various dental insurance providers have a preset payment structure to cover common dental procedures. The restrictions of most dental insurance providers are not as stringent as health insurance.
Preexisting procedures are usually covered under their terms and conditions. Visit your local dentist, receive a thorough examination and get a list of the needed procedures. Employers usually furnish a dental insurance separate from your health insurance.
Types
There are two categories that dental insurance falls under. The first includes a service named PPO. This stands for Preferred Provider Organization and your dental fees are negotiated with a provider ahead of time and a co-payment must also be paid by you. The second dental insurance is a DHMO. It contains a list of dental procedures that have a fixed dollar amount without a co-payment. Read the rest of this entry »
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