Discount Dental Plans vs. Dental Insurance
Ask anyone who has paid full price for dental work: It's not something you want to do. The cost of good dental care is constantly on the rise. We all know that we need some type of dental coverage, but with all the options available on the market today, it can be very hard to choose. Never fear, BCHealthInsurance.com is here to help.
Two Ways to Save Money
There are two basic designs for dental savings plans: Dental Insurance and Discount Dental Plans.
Traditional dental insurance plans function much like your health insurance. You or your employer pay a monthly premium. After a deductible is satisfied, the insurance pays all or part of qualified dental expenses, up to a stated policy maximum. The insurance company pays the dentist directly for their share of your dental expenses.
Discount dental plans differ from regular dental insurance mainly because they do not pay any dental expenses for you. Instead, they enroll you in a program that provides you with discounted prices from participating dentists.
Each type of dental savings program has both pros and cons. Please continue reading to figure out whether dental insurance or a dental discount program is better for you.
Dental Insurance
Because dental insurance programs become responsible for paying your dental expenses, they take certain measures to safeguard against abuse. This can be done by use of deductibles, waiting periods, and policy maximums. A typical deductible will be $25 to $50 per person, per year. After that, the dental insurance will pay some or all of the dental expenses up to a maximum of $750 to several thousand dollars. Some programs have pre-determined periods of time that you must be enrolled in their program before certain (larger, more expensive) procedures are covered. Other dental insurance plans opt to pay a lower percentage of the higher-priced benefits during the first year of coverage. Typical premiums are $20-$35 per month for an individual and $50-$100 per month for a family.
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Discount Dental Plans
Because Discount dental plan administrators are simply providing you with lower dental care prices and not paying your expenses, most discount dental plans do not have any of the restrictions placed on dental insurance policies. There are generally no deductibles, no waiting periods, and no annual maximums. Typical discounts are from 25 to 60 percent of normal dental work pricing. Discount dental plans can be purchased for as little as $80 per year for individuals and $150 per year for families.
Our provider for discount dental plans, DentalPlans.com, is currently offering an extra 3 months of coverage with their discount dental plans. If you would like to find out more about discount dental plans in your area, please enter your zip code below.
