Discount Dental Plans Vs. Dental Insurance
Discount dental plans vs. dental insurance is a comparison that warrants a closer look and yields some valuable insights.
Discount dental plans are a relatively new concept designed to provide a cost effective solution to dental care for individuals, families, and groups.
The participating dentists and dental care providers agree to provide their services for a lower fee than they normally charge to members of the dental plan.
To become a member, you simply pay a very low annual fee, print out a temporary membership card from the website right on your computer printer, and then, present the card to your participating dentist to receive discounted fees.
With a dental plan, you can get discounts on cosmetic procedures like braces, crowns, teeth whitening etc.
Dental insurance on the other hand requires an application process which must receive approval by the insurance company, and can take several months in some cases.
Furthermore the insurance company may refuse the applicant for existing conditions or require such high premiums that the dental insurance is not worth while.
And even if accepted, dental insurance plans traditionally have annual limits and deductibles that ultimately limit the benefits you bought the insurance for in the first place.
Typically dental insurance does not cover items like braces, veneers, and most kinds of cosmetic procedures.
With group dental plans businesses can offer their employees a variety of affordable dental care options without the high overhead of group dental insurance.
Employees can choose their individual plans to suit their needs without annual limits.
Because dental plans are not insurance there are no whimsical restrictions, waiting periods, administrative paperwork etc.
Group dental care plans are available in virtually any size and allow a savvy employer to structure them as a cost effective employment benefit, including but limited to retirement packages, part-time worker benefits and dependents of employees, which would be unaffordable or just impossible with normal group dental insurance.
What’s in it for dentists?
Because of the lower cost structure of discount dental plans dentists can not only attract and retain more patients by providing affordable dental care, they can also regenerate business from former patients who found the cost of dental care with insurance or no insurance too expensive.
The net effect is an increase in revenue for dentists who are members of a dental plan network because they receive payment directly from their patients rather than waiting 60, 90 or more days for an insurance company to pay.
They also avoid the added expense of having to pay someone to handle the paperwork and manage billing and receivables from dozens of dental insurance plans.
You can search on the internet for a discount dental plan in your area or you can save time by clicking on this free service HERE.
All you need to do is enter your ZIP code and you can compare rates and find a local participating dentist near you.
It’s important to note that, fees and discounts will vary between different providers and different ZIP codes but none will compare with the high costs or the waiting period of conventional dental insurance.
Once you sign up you will receive a welcome letter and your membership card as well as support and contact documentation and a 30 day guarantee.
And don’t forget, you can switch to a different plan, any time you like.