Dental Insurance Explained: What Every Patient Needs to Know
Maintaining your dental health is critical to your overall well-being. Unfortunately, most health insurance plans don’t cover dental care. Nevertheless, proactive, preventive dental care leads to healthier, more cost-efficient outcomes. For many individuals and families, comprehensive care is not possible without some form of insurance coverage.
Dental insurance plans come in all shapes and sizes, and the quality of coverage varies widely. Here’s what you need to understand about dental insurance when deciding on the best plan for you and your family.
Most Plans Include Free or Low-Cost Preventive Care
Dental insurance is a business like any other. Insurance carriers want to minimize their costs. Therefore, catching minor problems before they become dental emergencies is in everyone’s best financial interest. That’s why most plans include free or low-cost preventive care, such as checkups and cleanings, available in your area. Not taking advantage of these benefits means that you’re letting what you pay for go to waste.
Group Coverage is Cheaper
Regarding access to affordable dental care, pooling resources saves money. In other words, dental coverage is substantially cheaper when you purchase it through a group, such as your employer or a program like the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace, or public insurance like Medicaid. Not only do these plans cost less, but the coverage is often better than what you could purchase on your own.
Read the fine print about what’s covered and what’s not, as policies can vary significantly. It also pays to consult a trusted insurance agent, who can help you compare plans.
Individual Policies May Have Waiting Periods
If you cannot participate in group coverage, you can purchase an individual plan for you and your family. These tend to be more expensive, however, and the coverage is typically not as good.
Be aware that many of these individual policies have waiting periods for certain treatments. If you sign up for a policy because you need treatment, find out how soon they will cover it after your enrollment date. While preventive dentistry, such as checkups and cleanings, will likely be at least partially covered initially, more extensive procedures like root canals, crowns, and bridges may not qualify for reimbursement for a while.
Some Policies Require Dental Networks
Many insurance carriers, such as preferred provider organizations (PPOs) and health maintenance organizations (HMOs), require you to see a dentist in your network. Otherwise, you’ll have to pay more for an out-of-network provider. If you have a preferred family dentist in Cincinnati, ask whether they accept your insurance plan or are in your network. Also, double-check with a potential insurer to make sure your dentist is covered.
Higher Premiums Tend to Pay Off Long Term
You typically get what you pay for with dental insurance. A higher premium may seem steep initially, but the coverage tends to be better. Therefore, you’ll save more in the long run, especially if you have a family or anticipate needing a more expensive procedure, like a root canal.
Talk with us at Beckham Square Family Dental about what type of insurance you have. Don’t be afraid to ask us to explain any terms you don’t understand. We’ll do our best to help you schedule treatments that align with your budget and dental needs. Contact us today with your questions or to plan your next office visit.