Dental Insurance

Dental Plans vs Dental Insurance

     If you've been looking for the best dental insurance, you may already know how complicated dental coverage can be. Many insurance providers will claim to offer the best dental insurance plan, the best discount dental plans, or the best dental coverage. If you're not even sure what the difference between a dental plan and dental insurance is, however, you are unlikely to get the coverage that will really help you keep your teeth healthy and strong.

What are dental plans?

     Dental plans are basically agreements between you and a dental insurance company or a dental plan company. While these agreements may differ widely, they tend to have a few things in common: they allow you to enjoy discounts on dental costs, they have easy approval processes, and they allow you to select a dentist or dental care professional from a list or network. If you are looking to reduce your dental care costs without hassle, without much paperwork, or without many complications, a dental plan may be for you.

How are dental plans different from dental insurance?

     There are several ways in which dental plans are different from dental insurance. For one thing, the application process for dental plan is much simpler. With dental insurance, you may need to fill out numerous forms and you may need to prove that you have no pre-existing conditions that may affect your dental care in the immediate future. There may be a lengthy waiting time. You may even have to have a dental or medical exam to qualify. With a dental plan, however, you often only need to apply and pay a membership or application fee. Once your application is accepted, you will get discounts on dental care. You may or may not have to pay deductibles, but you will enjoy reduced dental costs.

     Dental plans cover some of the same processes as dental insurance. For example, with a dental plan you may be covered for cleanings, fillings, root canals, and other dental work. As with dental insurance, you will usually not be covered for cosmetic dental procedures. However, with some dental plans you may be qualified for treatments of pre-existing dental conditions.

     The claims process with dental plans is also very different. With dental insurance, you may need to fill out many forms. These forms may need to be sent in to your dentist or to the dental insurance company. At that point, you may need to wait to find out whether you will be reimbursed for your dental costs. Sometimes, the dental insurance company will only pay you a small percentage of what you had expected to be reimbursed. With a dental plan, however, you often only need to show your policy number, policy card, or membership card. Your dentist will usually fill out all the paperwork or will simply give you the dental discount. At that point, you'll only need to pay your reduced dental costs directly to the dentist.

Free Quotes on Dental Insurance

See also:
Health Insurance Terms
Choosing Dental Insurance