The Advantages Of Discount Dental Plans

By Nelda Powers


Discount dental plans allow members to get discounts after using the services of a dentist. Plan participants get to choose the dentist to visit from a list of participating dentists. These plans are different from dental insurance in that members do not pay monthly premiums. They only pay a single yearly fee and they can visit any dentist listed in a plan to enjoy discounts.

Participating dentists benefit by having their listing displayed regularly to a large list of potential patients. They therefore agree to charge lower service fees. The discounts in these plans vary. Typically, you will be reimbursed based on the class of services you use. For instance, diagnostic and preventative services may be covered at a hundred percent of the cost of the procedure, while basic restorative services may be covered at eighty percent of the procedure.

Under many dental plans, you may receive certain services like annual checkups and annual teeth cleaning free or at very low rates. The value of such a plan is that you do not have to refrain from visiting a dentist because of the expenses associated with using the services of this professional. It does not pay for the services you receive but rather allows you to pay discounted rates for these services.

Most plans require dentists to register their fee schedules. This makes it easy to detect if a dentist is overcharging. The other benefit of these plans is that they can allow you to include the members of your family, regardless of the relationship. This is beneficial for people who are not immediate family members.

Discount programs usually have certain defined expenses for members like deductibles, copayments and coinsurance. These cost sharing elements help keep fees at affordable levels to control costs. There can be limitations on how many times you can receive a particular service. Your age can also determine the kind of services that can be discounted.

Dental programs also usually have a yearly dollar limit on certain services. After you reach your yearly limit, you cannot enjoy reduced rates on services until the start of the upcoming plan year. However, if you only use routine care services such as exams, X rays and cleanings, it is highly unlikely that you will reach your yearly maximum.

In order to ensure that you do not get confused after receiving a bill from the dentist, you should get an estimate to know how much the services of a dentist will cost upfront. You should then request your dentist to submit the treatment plan to your insurance company for an estimate of the discounts you can receive for being in the dental plan. This professional may have to submit supporting documents or X rays in order for the service to be pre approved.

Your insurance company may provide you with an estimate showing how much will be paid by the plan, the charges you have to pay, the amount that remains toward your deductible and whether you are close to reaching your benefit maximum. It is essential to choose discount dental plans that cover the services you need and also include the dentists you would like to visit. The providers of these programs offer detailed descriptions outlining service coverage, limitations, requirements and exclusions.




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