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DENTAL PLANS
We all want to take care of our teeth. It makes good financial sense to get your dental treatment subsidized or through dental plans. Dental insurance is intended to help offset the costs associated with dental care. The mere thought of out-of-pocket expenses prevents many Americans from receiving routine and necessary dental treatment.
Today’s dental treatments range in cost from $300 per year for regular dental hygiene visits, to $25,000 or more for restorative dental procedures or cosmetic dentistry. Additionally, when compared with medical insurance coverage, dental insurance plans generally offer fewer benefits.
The best way to take full advantage of your dental coverage is to understand its features. Our best advice is to read your benefits information before you go to your dentist.
Plan basics you should look for:
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Most insurance companies offer a variety of benefit plans with different features. You may have co-workers or friends who are also covered by Delta Dental, but their coverage may differ from yours.
Your dentist may not “participate” in the network for your dental plan. If your dentist does, he or she will submit your claim. If not, you may be responsible for paying your dentist and submitting your claim to Delta Dental or another insurance carrier.
If you are entitled to benefits from more than one group dental plan, the amounts paid by the combined plans will not exceed 100 percent of your dental expenses. Benefits for dependents vary from plan to plan. Pay particular attention to special clauses and to language about dependents.
Dental benefits are calculated within a “benefit period”, which is typically for one year but not always a calendar year. Check your benefits information so that you know when you might be approaching your deductible payments or plan maximums.
The types of dental insurance plans available include the following:
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Indemnity Plan: An indemnity dental insurance plan allows you to select your own dentist. These plans are considered fee-for-service and come with limitations and co-payment options. This means that you pay a flat fee for the dental visit, but you have an annual limit on coverage for dental spending, and specific coverage limits may apply to individual dental procedures.
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Self-Insurance Plan: Self-insurance dental plans may be similar in nature to indemnity plans, but you might not be able to select your own dentist.
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Closed Panel Plan: Closed panel dental plans limit you to using a specific group of facilities and the number of dentists available to you.
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Capitation Plan: Capitation dental plans designate specific dentists for intervals of treatment. These dentists have a contract indicating that they will be paid a fee regardless of whether dental treatment was required.
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Preferred Provider Organization (PPO): PPO dental plans are limited to a group of dentists who are available to provide dental care at a reduced cost.
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Direct Reimbursement Plan: Direct reimbursement dental plans allow employers to directly reimburse employees for dental services they receive.
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Dental Care Service Plan: Dental care service plans use a group of dentists who form a non-profit organization to provide dental services at set fees.
Below is the list of Top 10 Dental Insurance Providers offers best Dental Plans
| Top Providers | Features |
| Delta Dental |
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| eHealth |
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| Humana |
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| Guardian |
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| Cigna |
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| Aetna |
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| Metlife |
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| Careington |
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| DentalPlans |
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| Ameritas |
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