How To Find the Perfect Dental Insurance Plan
Certainly, there are different kinds of insurance plans out there in the market today. And there are also different insurance carriers offering more or less of the same plan. The challenge, really, is finding out which plan would be best for you.
There are basically two types of dental plans today dental insurance plans and dental discount plans. Under dental insurance plans there are HMO plans, PPO plans, and group plans. Dental discount plans, on the other hand, offer just that deep discounts on dental services.
If youre looking forward to buying a dental insurance plan (as opposed to a dental discount plan) from your favorite insurance agent, but are at a loss on which plan is best for you, you need to ask yourself these questions:
1.Is my favorite dentist on the network of the insurance plan youre selling me?
2.Can I pay extra to keep seeing my dentist? (Ask this question if the answer to the first question is a No.)
3.Do you have dentists on the network who are located conveniently from where I am located?
4.I understand from reading various articles on the Internet that certain dental insurance companies allow only cheaper forms of dental treatments. Does your dental insurance plan have any restrictions on the treatment methods that my dentist should adopt? Can I, upon my dentists recommendation, decide on which method is best, regardless of the cost?
5.Could you give me couple of references to check? Is your dental insurance company rated by an approved ratings agency? Does it pay claims on time? Is it known for being friendly to its customers?
6.Does your dental insurance plan cover at least two free dental cleanings in one year? Are X-rays, fluoride treatments and other small ticket items covered? What other free services are covered by the plan?
7.What are the restrictions of the plan you are selling me? Am I restricted in my appointments to specific times of the day or certain days?
8.Does the plan cover orthodontic treatment?
In choosing dental healthcare coverage, do not choose a dental insurance plan or a dental discount plan just because the premiums look attractive. Sometimes, you simply get what you pay for. At other times, you get more than your moneys worth. It is always good advice to read the fine print on the products literature, and to always ask questions, that is, probing questions, to your insurance agent or you can look up dental insurance websites.
If you are employed, then go ahead and get yourself covered under an employer-backed dental insurance plan. This might be offered as part of your compensation and benefits package, or you might have to pay something from out of your pocket. At any rate, you will find that group plans are cheaper than individual plans.
