For Individuals, Which Dental Plans Are Best?
Dental plans for individuals are available in four essential formats. If you do not have individual dental insurance currently, you have several options to choose from. Even if you do have insurance, you may be able to save significantly with one of the dental plan options below.
Individual Dental Plan Options
As an individual, you have several options for making dental care more accessible.
- Preferred Provider Organization – A PPO plan gives you access to specified prices and discounts within a network of oral health professionals. These dentists and specialists provide service only to those within the PPO network, but policyholders have the freedom to visit dentists out of the network at a higher cost. This plan typically has higher premiums and deductibles, however, and you are restricted to a yearly maximum of coverage. These types of plans are typically offered through an employer, although there are ppo plans which are offered directly to individuals. HumanaOne Dental, Aetna and Delta Dental offer this type of plan.
- Dental Health Maintenance Organization – A DHMO plan gives members access to a network of dentists and specialists for a fixed monthly fee regardless of how much treatment is needed that month. Preventive work is often provided for free, but you are assigned to a dentist. The payment structure is known as capitation, dentists are paid per patient rather than per treatment. The cost of dental treatment for individuals is not adjusted based on the treatment’s intensity, so some patients may question if they are getting the specialized care they want.
- Indemnity – Traditional indemnity plans reimburse the patient or the dental provider for services rendered. You typically choose from any dentist, but these plans rely on high deductibles and limited yearly maximums to fund their payouts. If it reimburses the patient, then you pay for the treatment in full at the dental office and submit a claims form for reimbursement. If it reimburses the dentist, then you are only responsible for the copayment at the dental office. The insurance company will reimburse the dentist.
- Discount Plan – For a low monthly fee, discount dental plans give you access to discounts within a large network of dentists. There is no yearly maximum. You pay a discounted price directly to the dentist, eliminating the long, complicated claims process. This method eliminates the middle-man to give you direct access to discounts.
Dental Plans for Individuals
The Careington 500 Series individual dental plan is a discount plan which lowers the cost of oral health care visits for you and your family. Whether or not you have the opportunity to sign on with an insurance company through your employer, a discount individual dental plan could be a simple, affordable, helpful option for you.
Why You Should Consider a Discount Plan
Whether you need extensive oral reconstruction or you simply want to incorporate regular checkups into your routine, discount dental plans for individuals can save you more money than an insurance plan.
- Discount plans have no yearly maximum, while insurance plans for individuals limit you by compensating only a certain amount of money per year.
- Discount plans have a low monthly fee, whereas insurance plans for individuals charge high monthly or yearly premiums.
- Discount dental plans for individuals let you pay the dentists directly at a discounted price, whereas insurance plans for individuals require you to file a claim and wait for reimbursement.
- Discount plans allow you to obtain discounted treatment for pre-existing conditions, while insurance plans for individuals typically don’t cover pre-existing conditions.
- Discount plans cost you less in the long-run. You only pay for the treatment you need rather than paying in advance in the form of high premiums.
For more information on dental discount plans, click here.
