The one thing you have to remember is individual dental plans are not insurance policies. They are discounted plans which help you save money when you go to the dentist office. It is basic and simple to understand how they work.
A number of different insurance agencies provide these individual dental plans and discount cards, as they are called, as a service to their constituents. People can sign up for these cards individually or as a family. Individuals signing up for the card will usually pay between $79 and $119 per year. Families signing up for the discount card usually pay between $99 and $159 per year. In either case these, individual dental plans can save you money.
Individual dental plans provide you with a discount card. This card gives you certain discounts as you visit the dental office. You can go as often or little as you like. You simply pay on a fee-for-service basis, but at a discounted rate. That is the wonderful thing about these individual dental plans. You receive a discount each time you visit the dentist's office.
These individual dental plans are like HMOs in that you need to go to a dentist who accepts the discount card. Characteristically, the insurance company who provides you with the individual dental plans and the discount card will give you a list of dentists you can go to in your area. You must go to a dentist from the list to receive your benefit from these individual dental plans. If you don't go to a dentist from the list, you will probably get stuck with quite a large bill.
Individual dental plans vary from one discount card to another. You need to find out from the card provider which individual dental plans might be the best for you. Here are examples of some savings you may experience with use of individual dental plans and discount cards.
- Routine six-month check-up Customary fee, $35. You pay $24.
- Full mouth x-ray Customary fee, $100. You pay $70.
- Adult cleaning Customary fee, $65. You pay $54.
- White filling Customary fee, $110. You pay $71.
- Porcelain crown Customary fee, $800. You pay $535.
- Molar root canal Customary fee, $785. You pay $576.
- Single tooth extraction Customary fee, $110. You pay $65.
These samples are a small section of common procedures performed at dental offices throughout the nation. Once you have enrolled in individual dental plans, the insurance company will give you your discount card and a list of discounted procedures. If you are undergoing any dental procedure that is not on the discounted list of procedures, contact the company offering the individual dental plans to see if you qualify.
A couple of other benefits offered with these individual dental plans are vision and prescription benefits. The individual dental plan provider will supply you with a list of available vision and prescription benefits. With these individual dental plans you usually have no deductibles, no annual maximums or minimums, no predetermination of benefits required, no pre-existing condition exclusions and no claims forms or waiting periods.
These individual dental plans are a quick way to get you some kind of discount on your dental needs. You can sign up with any number of insurance carriers and coverage will normally begin immediately.
By John Ivie