Comparing Dental Insurance To
Dental Discount Plans

Things To Know About Your Dental Insurance

In order to properly compare dental insurance with dental discount plans, we should begin by dispelling what is probably the biggest myth about dental insurance is that it pays most of all the average dental bill. The truth is that this ratio is closer to 50% because of such things as deductibles, waiting periods, UCR limitations and excluded procedures, all of which dramatically reduce the benefits available to patients. Most people with dental ins waste their money by paying high monthly premiums even though almost 60% of these same people never visit the dentist in a given year. (Source: American Dental Association or ADA)

The insurance company will do exactly what is written into its contract with you. No more than that. The insurance company's primary allegiance is to its stock holders. Any advertising which implies that an insurance company cares about you personally is only advertising, and is based strictly on their legal obligations to the policy holder. They don't care if you are in pain, or your mother is sick. They won't pay for something just because you think you need it. They won't pay for something just because the dentist thinks it is necessary either. Read the fine print.

To make matters worse, if your employer doesn't offer dental ins', you'll find it almost impossible to buy some on your own. "While nearly all dental ins companies once offered coverage to individuals, by 2001 only 10% of the 60 companies that belong to the National Association of Dental Plans still did so. Frankly, these companies don't want your business" says Evelyn Ireland, executive director of the NADP. Because of this, even the ADA doesn't recommend that individuals try to purchase dental insurance on their own, says Dennis McHugh, manager of the association's dental benefit information department.

Even some prominent dentists don't recommend cheap dental ins for individuals. "It's never in anyone's interest to purchase individual dental insurance policies; their purpose is to put more money into the insurance carrier's pocket, not yours." says Mark Bornfeld DDS of DentalTwins.com.

Dental Insurance vs. Dental Discount Plans

What are some of the major differences between traditional (i.e. indemnity) dental insurance and discount dental plans? Dental insurance policies are typically characterized by monthly premiums, deductibles, annual maximums and health-related exemptions. Alternatively, discount dental plans are designed to be as accessible as possible, so they do not share any of these characteristics associated with dental insurance.

Some Characteristics Of Dental Insurance Plans Include:

• Limitations, deductibles and annual maximums
• Waiting periods for major dental procedures
• Tedious and time-consuming written claims process
• Limitations/exclusions on pre-existing conditions
• Certain dental specialties, such as cosmetic dentistry, are rarely covered
• Consumers pay expensive monthly premiums for defined coverage
• Typically inaccessible to individuals and families unless provided by their employer

Some Characteristics Of Dental Discount Plans Include:

• Available directly to individuals, families, businesses and groups
• No annual limits, members enjoy discounts on most dental services all year long
• No paperwork hassles; plan membership card is presented for discounts on dental services
• No health or age restrictions
• Most plans activate within 1-5 business days
• Most plans include dental specialties, such as cosmetic dentistry and orthodontics
• Members pay small membership fees for access to network of providers offering discounts on affordable health prescription, dental coverage insurance

The importance of having good dental coverage should be a no-brainer. However, if you are one of 100 million Americans who currently play dental roulette by paying for all their dental work out of pocket due to not having dental insurance, forking over $100 to $150 or so a year to enroll in a dental plan provides a cushion if you run into major costs. Even if you do have dental insurance, a discount dental plan may be a smart way to pay for both cosmetics and orthodontic work, procedures that are either ot covered or only partially covered by most dental insurance policies.

Dental Insurance VS. Discount Plans