Dental insurance is not something that most people look forward to searching for. When provided through an employer, employees must often make quick decisions about whether or not they will accept the dental insurance plan offered, and if they do not, they are often out of luck. Rarely are two options offered, and if there are, researching them can be time consuming and extremely confusing.
Dental insurance is necessary to provide dental care to employees and their family members at reasonable rates. Many individuals or families are not able to obtain dental insurance if it is not offered through an employer, but perhaps that will change in the near future. Senior citizens and people who are self-employed find it especially difficult to find a dental insurance plan that they can afford, and many just go without.
The most important thing to remember when looking at a dental insurance plan is that most provide what is called, in insurance lingo, Usual, Customary and Reasonable, coverage. What does that mean? Generally it means that insurance companies have predetermined what and how much of a particular service they will pay for.
Be aware that this amount is not determined by what a dentist charges, but what the insurance company decides to pay for it. For example, your dentist may charge $75 to clean your teeth, but the dental insurance company only agrees to pay $50 for those services, so it may be up to you to pay the difference. However, if you see a dentist that is listed on the service provider list of the dental insurance company, you may not have to pay for that difference. Double check ahead of time to make sure.
When opting for a dental insurance plan offered by employers, make sure that the network of dental providers is accessible to you, and offers offices that are within a reasonable distance from you. Also make sure that more than one dental provider who takes that kind of insurance is available in your town or city so that you will have a choice. Some plans require you to see a dentist on their list of providers, but others do not, so make sure ahead of time. Also find out what you will be liable for if you choose to see a dentist 'out of the Network.'
Sometimes, dental insurance plans have a waiting period. With this waiting period, an insurance company can have you wait from several weeks to several months to even a year before certain dental procedures can be done.
Most dental insurance companies will break down insurance coverages into three basic areas: Preventative, Basic and Major dental work. Preventative dental care includes, but is not limited to, services associated with check-ups, teeth cleaning and so forth. Basic or Restorative care includes dental work and repair. Be advised that most dental insurance companies consider dentures, root canals, crowns and bridges to be major dental procedures. Check before you sign on the dotted line that your prospective dental insurance company will cover 'Major' dental procedures, and make sure those procedures are listed somewhere in the dental insurance policy literature to avoid unnecessary and unpleasant surprises.