Dental Insurance
Dental insurance helps cover the cost of the routine preventative care that is so important to our overall health. A dental plan can also protect you financially from unexpected dental work that can sometimes be quite costly.
Dental Insurance Quote
There are many different dental insurance companies and plans available. Some are definitely better than others, but it also depends on what is important to you. Request a quote and I will help you choose the best dental insurance for you.
Buy Dental Insurance Online
One of the best and easiest to purchase dental insurance companies online is Ameritas. To shop other companies, Request Expert Help, or you can easily shop the Ameritas dental plans and enroll online within minutes.
Individual Dental Plans
Individual dental insurance policies are easy to get and coverage can often start the next day. If your employer doesn’t offer dental insurance, this is a great option.
Family Dental Plans
Most dental insurance companies will start providing price breaks for family plans with 3+ members on the policy. This can be very helpful for large families.
Child Dental Plans
Surprisingly, a lot of dental insurance companies don’t allow a child-only policy. They require an adult to be on the policy as well. But there are some carriers that will.
PPO vs HMO vs Indemnity
PPO Dental Insurance Plans are usually considered the best option to choose from. Generally, PPO networks are larger than HMO networks, so you have more dentist to choose from. With a PPO policy, there are both in network and out of network coverage, so you have the flexibility to see any dentist you want to or need to. Most PPO Dental Insurance policies will offer coverage on a percentage basis (100%, 80%, 50%, etc) and will have a small annual deductible (usually $50) on certain services. There is usually a maximum amount the plan will pay out each year in benefits ($500 – $3000) which includes all covered services.
HMO Dental Insurance Plans are often the lowest priced option because of their restrictions and higher out of pocket costs per dental service. As with most HMO insurance networks, they tend to be smaller than their PPO counterparts. You need to use in-network dentists or else there is no coverage. A lot of HMO Dental Plans will offer no maximum benefit each year, but instead have high copays for each service and put restrictions on the quantity of each service within specific periods of time. For example, you might only be allowed two fillings every 12 months or one crown every 5 years. If you exceed the limits, then there is no coverage.
Indemnity Dental Insurance Plans are often considered a “reimbursement” or “fixed benefit” policy. Indemnity plans will have a list of covered services and will pay you a specific dollar amount for each service you receive. These plans offer the flexibility of going to any dentist you want to, because the plan pays you after you submit the claim. Indemnity dental plans are popular for situations where you might get a really good “cash rate” with your dentist or if the dentist doesn’t take insurance or isn’t in a lot of networks. A unique attribute about indemnity plans is that you can use it as your main dental plan or it can also function as a supplement to another dental plan to help reduce out of pocket costs.