Insurance description
Those who do have dental coverage
often get it through their employer as part of their
health insurance plan. Depending upon the type of
medical coverage you have, it may be a good idea to have
a compatible program to eliminate any gaps or overlap
within the two plans. That may save money while allowing
you to take advantage of receiving necessary preventive
care.
A conventional dental insurance plan may not necessarily
be the most cost effective type of coverage. Discounted
dental insurance has become quite popular, and there are
plenty of companies competing for your business. Compare
features of both categories to decide the best choice of
dental insurance plan for your situation.
Not all dentists are pleased about participating in a
dental insurance plan. It means more work for them (and
especially more paperwork), and less pay. It's also
important to have adequate coverage for your situation,
so you can access the features you need and aren't
paying for something you won't use. Also, insurance
plans have restrictions, such as pre-existing conditions
and annual maximum payments.
The most common types of dental insurance plans are
either Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) or Dental
Health Maintenance Organization (DHMO). Both types are
considered managed care, and each dental insurance plan
has benefits and disadvantages.
Dentists participating in the PPO plans have negotiated
their fees with the administering company, and provide
their services under the plan, but this usually doesn't
cover all fees. There are deductibles to consider and
most of these types of dental insurance plan only pay a
percentage of the charges, leaving the patient with a
co-pay. There may also be a maximum amount they will pay
annually.
If your employer is paying the monthly premiums for the
dental insurance plan and the dentist you use is part of
the PPO, this might be an attractive option. However, if
you are responsible for payment, this might be more
expensive and certainly less flexible than a discounted
dental insurance plan.
A Dental Health Maintenance Organization is another
dental insurance plan option, based on the model of
medical HMOs. Here, too, the patient is enrolled in a
program, and can visit any dentist in that program.
However, dentists may end up having to provide services
at 'below cost' rates, and not be able to spend as much
time with each person as a PPO could offer. Working in
an HMO setting, the dentist has many more people to see
and is compelled to function in an environment where
volume matters. Although a patient will be seen and
treated, the relationship with the dentist isn't
developed due to lack of time. If you want to be seen by
a dentist who takes time with his or her patients, this
may not be your optimum dental insurance plan. |
