Aug 01
Cut Rate Dental Insurance
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 108 million Americans carry no dental insurance. That’s over twice the number of citizens who currently have no medical insurance, and is slightly over one third of the population. Those sorts of figures are not going to encourage careers in dentistry.
However a low-cost alternative to traditional dental coverage has emerged, similar to the early versions of HMOs that introduced managed health care in this country. Both consumers and employers are turning to discount dental plans as high premiums, strict limitations of coverage and service issues are often associated with traditional dental coverage.
The National Association of Dental Plans (NADP) views discount dental plans as a viable, cost-effective alternative, and also has an even higher estimate of the uninsured populace: “With an estimated 45 percent of Americans not having any type of dental coverage, and the dental insurance marketplace offering few, affordable dental products for individuals, discount dental plans are an attractive answer to the need to reduce consumer out-of-pocket costs and increase access to care.”
Discount dental plan members pay a low annual membership fee and are granted access to a network of participating providers offering discounts of 10 percent to 60 percent on most dental procedures, including braces, root canals, crowns, dentures, cosmetic dentistry and more on select plans. Certain plans have expanded to include discounts on additional benefits, including prescription, vision, hearing and chiropractic care.
Discount dental plans start at about $80 per year for individuals. According to a 2005 report by the NADP, the average monthly premium for individual dental HMO insurance is over $190 per year, about compared $285 per year for individual dental PPO insurance and nearly $375 per year for individual dental indemnity insurance.
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August 1st, 2007 at 8:24 pm
Part of the problem with many dental insurance policies, however, is that they often simply don\’t cover much. Aside from a cleaning, x-rays, and some preventive care, any other care leads to hefty percentages of bills which can end up costing a pretty penny out-of-pocket. It\’s better than nothing, but it also might (partially) explain the relatively low enrollment figures.
Jerry
December 1st, 2007 at 6:44 pm
I have dental insurance with a 1750/yr. maximum. My wife is diabetic, found out several months ago she has advance gum disease. Needs 26 teeth pulled out, 2 small lumps removed from palate, 3 appointments, with anasthesia for each, full upper denture and partial lower. So, dental insurance helped me here, but dental insurance needs to operate like medical, without low maximums. These above treaments, even with $3500 paid out insurance, will still cost me slightly over ten thousand dollars. When will the USA wake up?
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January 11th, 2010 at 9:47 am
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