What are your options for dental insurance? How do you balance care and affordability? Here are some tips.
Before the birth of discounted dental programs, otherwise known as consumer-driven healthcare, traditional dental insurance was the only option available. The typical drawbacks of traditional dental insurance are high monthly premiums and six to twelve month wait periods for major work, during which time they limit coverage to preventative care.
Discounted dental plans were designed to free their members from some of the drawbacks of traditional insurance, with an aim to offering them significant and instant savings coupled with a low monthly membership fee.
So what is best for the needs of your family? Let’s compare the two options and see how they differ:
Characteristics of traditional dental insurance include:
- Limitations, deductibles and annual maximums
- Waiting periods for major dental procedures
- Complex written claims process
- Limitations or exclusions on pre-existing conditions
- Certain dental specialties, such as cosmetic dentistry, are rarely covered
- Expensive monthly premiums for defined coverage
- Typically inaccessible to individuals and families unless provided by their employer
Characteristics of discount dental plans include:
- No annual limits, members get discounts on most dental services all year long
- Instant Savings
- No paperwork hassles - plan membership card is presented for discounts on most dental services
- No health restrictions
- Plans include discounts on dental specialties, including cosmetic dentistry and orthodontics
- Affordable membership fees for access to a network of providers offering discounts on most dental procedures
- Available directly to individuals, families, businesses and groups
Discount dental plans can be a great alternative to traditional insurance, offering instant savings without the normal wait period. In our review, the price of traditional dental insurance for an Individual + Family included a monthly premium averaging from $94.00 to $108.00, with an annual maximum of $1,000.00 and a $50.00 deductible. Compared to the average monthly cost of a discount dental plan at $20.00 for an entire household, you can see the potential for immediate savings there.
Discount dental programs have helped thousands of people save money on their dental needs, and normally include discount services for vision, prescription and chiropractic care at no extra cost in their membership.
So what will work best for you? Look into the differences for yourself!
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