Enrolling for dental insurance can help protect you against unexpected dental expenses such as crowns or root canals. Your dental plan will also make it easier for you to keep up with regular cleanings, checkups and other preventative treatments. All of which helps identify the need for a crown or root canal before they become a costly expense. Before you decide to enroll for a dental insurance plan, feel free to lets learn about a few key questions to ask yourself before purchasing a dental plan.
Questions to consider before choosing a dental insurance plan
- Do I need a dental procedure done right away?
- How long are the waiting periods for each dental insurance plan before I will have my procedure covered?
- How much is the monthly premium?
- What is the dentist network? Will I be able to stay with my current dentist or will I need to switch?
- What is the cost to see a dentist outside of my dentist network?
- How much is the deductible?
- After meeting the deductible, how much with the dental insurance provider pay towards my procedure?
How does dental insurance work?
Dental insurance works very similar to how health insurance works. A client pays an insurer a monthly premium towards a specific plan to receive coverage. The payment of the monthly premium allows the client the ability to receive regular checkups, cleanings, and x-rays. Some of which will be applied towards their dental plans insurance deductible. Once your deductible is met, the dental insurance companies will step in and pay a percentage of the overall bill for various procedures like crowns, root canals, dentures, and braces. However, there are waiting periods associated for some of the bigger procedures.
What procedures does your dental insurance cover once your coverage begins?
Getting a dental insurance plan is the first step in making sure you keep your teeth and gums healthy. However, some dental plans make you wait over 6 months before they will help you pay for the more expensive procedures. Fortunately, dental insurance companies do cover most preventative procedures. Here is a brief list of some common preventative treatment procedures covered upon the start of dental insurance coverage:
Common Preventative Treatments Covered:
- Office Visits
- Cleanings
- X Rays
How long are waiting periods for dental insurance?
The whole purpose for waiting periods is to detour potential clients from buying dental insurance only when they need to have dental procedures. The more expensive a dental procedure is, the longer the waiting period will be. A waiting period means that you will have to wait a specific amount of time before a dental insurance company will help you pay for certain procedures. Here is a brief list of common waiting periods for a few well known procedures:
6 Month Waiting Period
- Fillings
One Year Waiting Period
- Crowns
- Root Canals
- Dentures
How does the annual deductible work for dental insurance plans?
An annual deductible for dental insurance is the amount of money you have to pay out of pocket towards dental costs until your dental insurance company helps pay a percentage of your bill. For example: Your annual deductible is $750. Until you pay your annual deductible through office visits, x-rays, and lab tests, you will have to pay for those procedures on your own. Once your annual deductible is met, the dental insurer will start to help you by paying a certain percentage, ranging from 0%-60%, of your overall bill from your dentist.
What is my maximum payout limit?
A maximum payout limit is the maximum amount of money that your dental insurer will pay to cover dental procedures in one calendar year (January 1 – December 31st). If your maximum payout limit is $1,000, once that limit is met, you will have to pay the remaining cost on your own.
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