The Great Debate: Dental Insurance vs. Dental Care Plans
There are many reasons people decide to skip the dentist’s office, like fear, anxiety, or concerns about the cost of dental care. If you don’t have a dental insurance plan or a dental discount membership card, you may be even more hesitant to go and your dental and overall health can suffer. Despite having similar names, a dental discount membership plan isn’t the same as a dental insurance plan. Here’s how dental insurance differs from dental discount plans, like the Smile Care Plan at Today’s Dental.
What is Dental Insurance and What Does it Cover?
Having dental insurance provides you with an economical way of receiving dental care and emergency oral treatments. Dental insurance, which is a type of health insurance, only covers a portion of your dental healthcare expenses. It can cover services for both preventive and basic dental care as well as some types of major dental work.
- Preventive care—This covers preventive and diagnostic services, such as basic teeth cleanings, oral exams, and x-rays. Some plans may include sealants and fluoride treatments. Most dental insurance plans cover the costs involved in preventive care.
- Basic dental care—This includes everything from dental visits, fillings, extractions, and gum disease treatment to root canals.
- Major dental care—Major dental care typically comes with a higher price tag. Major dental care involves coverage for bridges, crowns, inlays, and dentures. Most plans will cover roughly half of the cost.
What Are Dental Discount Plans and How Do They Work?
Dental discount plans, or dental care plans, are similar to discount cards that you use at pharmacies or grocery stores. Rather than paying premiums or monthly installments, you pay a monthly fee for a dental discount card that will lower your out-of-pocket costs. This type of plan is especially useful for those with minimal or no dental insurance who need regular care, like treating gum disease. If you’re on Medicare with no dental insurance, this is also a great, lower-cost option. Just be sure to use the dentist in the network of your plan to receive any discounts so that you won’t be paying full price.
Advantages
There are several benefits to using a dental discount plan:
- No copays or deductibles
- No insurance claim hassle
- No limit of dental care in a calendar year
A dental discount plan may be the best choice if you plan to exceed the annual maximum on dental insurance.
Why Choose a Dental Care Plan Over Dental Insurance?
Like most types of insurance, dental insurance is never clear or straightforward. Some dental insurance plans include root canals under “major” dental care, while others categorize them as “basic.” The cost of major dental care is higher, and most insurance plans only cover about 50% of the cost, if that.
Also, dental insurance companies sometimes change treatment plans and offerings, often without clearly sharing the changes with patients. Be sure to read the small print of a policy because insurance companies can be sneaky. Even though an insurance company says that it covers 100% of your preventive care, according to the small print, it also says that you must first pay for any deductible.
Dental insurance has a set limit for how much they will pay out each year (often $1,000 to $2,000). If you hit or exceed that amount, your insurance will not cover any additional costs. A dental care plan or membership is different in that you will pay a monthly fee, but there is no limit to how much they will pay out for procedures. You can visit the dentist as many times as you need to, without worrying about hitting a yearly maximum benefit.
While some insurance providers accept both dental insurance and dental discount plans, others only let you use one and not use the other. Dental insurance companies use a “one-size-fits-all” approach and don’t ask about your dental or other health conditions. However, this is important when it comes to preventive care as well as restorative dental care.
The average payment for dental insurance for Americans is about $35 per month or $420 per year, and that’s before any dental work is done!
If you don’t have dental insurance or the cost of your dental visits leave you with an empty wallet, consider a dental discount plan. Talk to your dentist about your options – don’t let poor or no dental insurance get in the way of a beautiful, healthy smile.
Questions? Contact us or call us at 402-333-1120, and learn more about the Smile Care Plan.
