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Dental Insurance Tips

Published by Mike Lovell on

Who needs dental insurance?

Most people I talk with have had dental insurance most of their life.  In many cases, it was paid for by their employer.  This made it much less expensive for them and probably not something you thought about before.

But now you are on Medicare.  And you learned that Medicare doesn’t cover dental insurance. So what do you do?

Well there are a lot of options to consider.  Which is probably something you don’t want to hear.  So if you want to skip to the bottom for my recommendation you can do that by clicking here.

But if you want more info so you can learn how I’ve researched dental insurance and what some of the pros and cons are then follow along.

Should you get dental insurance?

Do you get your teeth cleaned at least twice per year?

That is the big question that could make it easy so you don’t need to read the rest of this article.

If you do not get your teeth cleaned twice per year then buying dental insurance is rarely a good idea.  You would be better off paying out of pocket for one cleaning per year.  Or if you don’t see the dentist regularly then clearly you shouldn’t buy dental insurance.

But if you do get your teeth cleaned twice per year then buying the right dental insurance plan can save you money.

Things to consider before you buy a dental insurance plan

Does the dental plan restrict you to a network or can you see any dentist?

Some plans have flexibility where you can see any dentist you want.  While others restrict you to specific dentists to get any benefits.

Most plans allow you to see any dentist you want but give you extra savings for staying inside of their network.

None of these are bad options by themselves.  But you need to know BEFORE you buy how the plan works.  Otherwise you could end up with a surprise bill.

Dental network discounts

Most plans that do use a network give you a discount for staying inside of the network.  The discount varies by provider and plan but can be pretty significant.

I’ve seen some plans with discounts as much as 50% off the standard price.

So if the standard cost for that service is $1,000 and you get a 50% discount then you saved $500 immediately from that one procedure.

Waiting periods

Does your plan make you wait before certain services will be covered?  Unfortunately it’s common that most plans do make you wait.  Some will not cover you for 6 months.  Others won’t cover you for 12 or even 18 months.

That means that you could be paying a premium for an entire year without getting much in return for benefits.

Premium

How much is the monthly premium?

Obviously before you buy something you need to know how much it costs.  Is that premium you are paying a good value?  Or are you spending more than you need to?

Maximum benefit

Most dental plans have maximum benefits. This amount is the maximum that the dental insurance company will pay out in claims each year.  After that amount is paid then you will have to pay 100% of the costs for the rest of the year.

Many plans have limits of $1,000 per year.  Some plans will go up to $1,500.

Ameritas – The dental insurance plan I recommend

Ameritas is the dental insurance plan I recommend the most often. Here are some of the reasons why:

Great Value

Ameritas has very competitive pricing.  Especially considering the value you are getting.  When I compared it to competitors it is often the least expensive option.  And it has a higher maximum benefit amount of $2,000 per calendar year compared to competitors at $1,200

So the premium you pay is lower and the benefit you get is higher.  Sounds like a winner to me.

Large network discounts

Ameritas has a network that you get better benefits by using.  You can also go out of network and use the plan.  But if you stay in the network you save between 25% and 50% for most services.

No waiting periods

You have coverage on day 1.  And benefits improve after 1 year for non-preventive care.

Most companies don’t cover major services like crowns or root canals for an entire year.  You get coverage day 1 with Ameritas. And after one year is over, the benefit level is comparable or higher than many other plans for that major work.

Which means you can get the treatment done you need now instead of waiting a year.

Contact me directly for more info or you can sign up here if you prefer – Enroll Now

Mike Lovell

608-571-4461

Mike@askMedicareMike.com