How Can I Get Health Insurance To Pay For Dental Work

Medical insurance does not pay for most forms of general dentistry including routine checkups, cleanings, fillings, sealants, and X-rays to detect caries. However, many dental plans cover preventive oral care with no waiting periods. The one exception to this rule is private plans purchased through your state exchange.

Tips For Choosing A Full

Keep these tips in mind when you shop for dental insurance:

• Estimate your future dental needs. Dont just think about the regular checkups and cleanings. Consider whether you or a family member will need major dental work or oral surgery.
• Find a plan your dentist accepts. If you like your current dentist, check to see if he or she is a member of that plans provider network.
• Consider your budget and how much you are comfortable paying. Decide whether youd prefer to pay monthly premiums, copays at the time of service or discounted fees directly to the dentist.

Only you can decide what full-coverage dental insurance means for you and your family. But with so many choices available, you can be sure to find a plan that works for you.

• System Requirements

This material is provided for informational use only and should not be construed as medical advice or used in place of consulting a licensed medical professional. You should consult your doctor to determine what is right for you.

Humana is the brand name for plans, products and services provided by one or more of the subsidiaries and affiliate companies of Humana Inc. . Plans, products, and services are solely and only provided by one or more Humana Entities specified on the plan, product, or service contract, not Humana Inc. Not all plans, products, and services are available in each state.

Dental Plans

Dental and vision plans, excluding Dental Savings Plus, may have a minimum one-year initial contract period.

Vision Plans

Can I Have Multiple Dental Insurance Plans

You and your spouse can have separate dental insurance plans under different companies. This is quite common if both your employers provide dental benefits. By studying what coverage is provided by each plan, you can maximize the benefits available.

With two plans, you may be able to get 100 percent of dental costs covered rather than the standard 80 percent. You can submit claims on your plan and then top up the rest using your spouses plan.

However, if you are paying premiums on two plans you have to consider whether this outlay is worth it. It may make more financial sense to have one policy and pay the rest out of pocket.

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How To Join A Dental Plan

• You must be eligible for Medi-Cal to join a dental plan.
• To join a dental plan, call Health Care Options at 1-800-430-4263. Or you can complete a Medi-Cal Dental Choice Form. You can find the form on the page.
• You can use your Medi-Cal Benefits Identification Card for services through Regular Medi-Cal until you are a dental plan member.
• Health Care Options will send you a letter telling you that the dental plan change has taken place.
• Your dental plan will send you information about its services and a dental plan member card.
• Take your dental plan member card and BIC card with you when you visit your dentist.

Our Dental Plans Will Make You Smile

Seeing your dentist regularly is an important part of maintaining good overall health, but without a dental plan regular visits can be expensive. A basic checkup can easily cost over $100 per person making regular dental care difficult to include as part of your health routine. However, ignoring your dental health now can lead even more expensive dental care later and in extreme cases, other health problems.

Pacific Blue Cross offers dental only plans for individuals who want affordable dental coverage without purchasing an individual health plan as well as for individuals who don’t have dental coverage through their employer.

Dentists can bill us directly saving you from out-of-pocket expenses. You only pay the percentage not covered by the plan. And our plans have a sliding scale for reimbursement the longer you have coverage, the more coverage you enjoy. That’s why people with dental coverage from Blue Cross always have a great smile.

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Can I Buy My Own Dental Insurance

Dental care is an essential part of maintaining your overall health. Some people think that the only way to get good dental coverage is through an employee sponsored plan. However, this is not entirely true. Quality dental coverage is available to everyone through Guardian Direct.

Anyone in your family who is over 18 has the ability to purchase their own comprehensive coverage through Guardian Direct. Depending on the plan, each family member is also able to choose their own dentist, so you can pick a dentist who is close to home and a dentist that you trust.

Why Buy Through Sbis

SBIS gives anyone who is losing or does not qualify for group benefits access to a supplementary Ontario Dental Insurance Plan from numerous top insurers in Canada. We also provide comprehensive coverage to business owners, entrepreneurs and anyone else wanting to minimize the financial risk of being underinsured.

As an independent broker, our mandate is to help you choose the right insurance carrier for your individual dental insurance coverage requirements. This means we will work with you to identify your specific needs, and then match you with the right carrier.

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Can You Get Dental Insurance Without Health Insurance

• Asked August 27, 2013 in

What Kind Of Dental Insurance Covers Everything

Sadly, there is no type of dental insurance that covers everything. Most will not cover treatments for dental problems that you have prior to joining the plan, and many do not cover dental implants or cosmetic treatments. Dental savings plans, an alternative to traditional dental insurance, typically do cover care for existing dental issues as well as dental implants and cosmetic procedures.

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Best Major Coverage: Spirit Dental

Spirit Dental

• Coverage Limit: $750 to $5,000
• States Available: 50

Spirit Dental is our best for major coverage, as it offers eight policies with no waiting period and competitive coinsurance rates for major services. Diverse coverage options allow you to find the right balance between monthly premiums, annual maximums, and out-of-network flexibility.

• No waiting periods for any covered procedures

• One-time deductible of $100

• Annual limits up to $5,000

• High out-of-pocket costs for orthodontics

• Expensive monthly premiums

• Less favorable terms in the first year

No one wants to think about undergoing major dental work like crowns, implants, and procedures that require anesthesia. But when these expensive treatments come up, having an insurance policy that covers them can at least provide some financial peace of mind. Spirit Dental is one of the few dental insurance companies that doesnt impose a waiting period for major services on any of its policies.

You can quickly get a quote on Spirit’s website to see what your premiums would be. Each plan has a single lifetime deductible of just $100 per person, and plans are distinguished by annual maximums, which range from $750 to $5,000. You can choose between in-network and out-of-network coverage, although the latter will result in higher monthly premiums.

Best For Orthodontics: Ameritas

• Coverage Limit: $1,000 to $2,000
• States Available: 50

Ameritas offers the best terms for orthodontics with no waiting periods and coinsurance rates starting at 85% but dropping to 50% after one year, making this company the best for orthodontia in this review.

• No waiting for any services, including orthodontics on many plans

• All plans include orthodontic coverage

• High coverage rates after one year

• $1,000 lifetime maximum on orthodontics

• Lower cost plans limited to in-network providers

Finding a dental insurance plan that covers orthodontics can be a challenge, and those that do typically require waiting periods that can span up to two years. Ameritas offers four policies with no waiting periods on orthodontics, and although out-of-pocket costs are 85% in the first year, they drop to just 50% after this. There is a lifetime maximum of $1,000 on orthodontic procedures, which is standard for most dental insurance policies.

For other types of care, all four Ameritas dental plans follow the same coinsurance rate schedule. Preventive care is covered entirely with a limit of two exams and cleanings per year. Basic services carry a 35% coinsurance rate in the first year and a 20% rate for every subsequent year, while major services are billed with an 80% coinsurance rate in the first year and a 50% rate after that.

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There Are Alternatives That May Make More Financial Sense

Thinking about buying dental insurance because you don’t have an employer offering it as a benefit? It might not be worth the cost even if you need extensive dental work.

Its a concern for a lot of people. One in 4 Americans doesn’t have dental insurance, and of those over 65, half have no coverage, according to the National Association of Dental Plans .

About two-thirds of people who do have insurance get it through their job-. If it’s offered to you, it almost always makes sense to take it because employers subsidize the monthly premiums and can negotiate lower rates for dentists in their network. The employee contribution toward the premium is generally pretty low.

Of course, getting regular dental checkups is important for your health. Untreated conditions can lead to serious health problems or indicate an underlying medical issue. Getting routine care can prevent more serious and costly treatment down the road, says Dave Preble, D.D.S., senior vice president of the American Dental Association’s Practice Institute.

But when employer insurance isn’t an option, there are other ways you can get dental care that can be more affordable than paying the premiums for insurance on your own.

Costs Of Dental Emergencies

The costs can certainly make you reach deep into your wallet, especially if you dont have dental insurance. As examples:

• Root canal costs depend on which tooth the procedure is being performed on: A front tooth will cost between $700 and $900, while a bicuspid can range between $800 and $950. Molars will run from $1,000 to $1,200.
• Dental crown costs depend on the material the crown is made of: Porcelain crowns cost between $1,200 and $1,500, while metal crowns cost between $1,200 and $1,400. Porcelain fused to metal crowns run slightly less, costing between $1,000 and $1,150.

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Dental Insurance For Seniors

Many employers provide dental insurance plans to their staff as a benefit. However, when these individuals retire their dental benefits are usually terminated. Seniors must then decide if they wish to purchase a dental plan out of their own pocket.

Some provinces offer free dental care for certain people over 65. For example, the Ontario Seniors Dental Care Program offers free dental care for those with low incomes. However, the net income to qualify must be less than $22,000 for an individual or $37,100 for a couple.

The Barbaric History Of Dentistry

Despite it being a plainly medical issue, oral health has always been an outlier. Until the 1800s, dentistry was the domain of barbershops, practiced in the same chair and usually by the same guy who shaved your beard.

How would you feel if you went to your hairdresser and they pulled your tooth or lanced your abscess? asks Dr. Glassman.

Its so bizarre and frightful an image that its almost comical, but the history of our teeth and jaws being treated as something as incidental as our hair and nails still haunts us.

Dentistry has always had a disconnect to medicine, says Dr. Michael Tischler who specializes in reconstructive dentistry and the implant editor for Dentistry Today. In 1840 dentistry was proposed as a medical specialty to the University of Maryland in Baltimore and rejected.

We may have since greatly evolved in how we regard and understand dentistry, but we havent embraced it as a primarily medical issue if we had, it would be covered under medical insurance, or at least, things like a root canal would be, because if you need a root canal and dont get one, you could end up with all kinds of lethal problems that lead to hospitalization. It is rumored that Queen Elizabeth died from blood poisoning as a result of an untreated tooth infection. That was a long time ago, but hey, it happens.

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The Insurance Game Of Risk

The reason dental is separate from medical is that the nature of the risk is fundamentally different as is the deferability of the care, says Dr. Adam C. Powell, president of Payer+Provider Syndicate, a management advisory and operational consulting firm focused on the managed care and healthcare delivery industries. If youre having a heart attack you’ll go to the ER right away. Dental problems can often wait and unfortunately often do. The problem may deteriorate, but often its not necessarily life-threatening.

Yes, dental problems often do wait. Mine is waiting until my next paycheck . But the argument that dental problems are less severe than medical ones doesnt quite hold up, not when you look at the numbers of ER visits for which dental-related problems account.

More than 800,000 annual ER visits arise from preventable dental problems, says Dr. Allena Willis Kennerly, an orthodontist. Dr. Glassman adds that this year alone 50,000 people will be diagnosed with oral cancer, adding, Probably 10,000 of those people will die, but these are things that if caught really early can be better treated, before they spread and metastasize.

How Much Does A Dental Payment Plan Cost

The cost depends on the plan you choose and your oral health.

The monthly fee is set by your dentist, based on an examination of your dental needs.

If you choose a comprehensive plan, your dentist will examine you. Depending on how much time, care and treatment youll need over the year theyll put you in a band with a set fee.

You could move up or down between fee bands if your oral health improves or deteriorates. You might also have to pay a joining fee.

As youre paying the dentist directly, be aware that prices might vary widely between practices.

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Health Maintenance Organization Plans

Finally, there are HMO or Health Maintenance Organization plans. An HMO will require you to visit dentists within their insurance network. If you are comfortable with limited providers, the cost savings of this plan are exceptional.

Before you dive into an HMO dental plan, I highly recommend checking out the list of providers. Unfortunately, the list can be very limited. Although the cost savings potential is high, you might miss out on the chance to work with a dentist you feel comfortable with.

Dental Coverage Is Available 2 Ways

• Health plans that include dental coverage. Dental coverage is included in some Marketplace health plans. You can see which plans include dental coverage when you compare them. If a health plan includes dental, the premium covers both health and dental coverage.

• In some cases separate, stand-alone plans are offered. You can see them when you shop for plans in the Marketplace. If you choose a separate dental plan, youll pay a separate, additional premium.

How to preview dental plans

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Dental Coverage Options From Gms

GMS plans are flexible, and you may get same-day coverage when you buy online. There are no hidden benefit restrictions for health and dental. What you see is what you get, and there is no waiting period when you switch from another provider . Plus, you get quick claims payment when you submit your claims online.

SBIS gives you access to GMS Personal and Replacement Health Insurance Plans. Dental coverage for you and your family can be added to your choice of plan.

GMS Personal Health Plans: Choose from one of three GMS Personal Health Plans, add on the dental protection you need, and consider a spectrum of other coverages. Each year, you may adjust your benefits to remove or add coverage .

GMS Replacement Health Plans: Youre accepted. Guaranteed. No medical questions. Just make sure your plan begins within 60 days of the end date of your group benefits. Once youve got it, youve got it. Youll never have to reapply! Choose from three plans for the health coverage you need and add on your benefit for preventative, basic and major dental care.

As a leading agency for individual dental insurance plans, SBIS offers:

Contact us to learn more about how you can expand your Ontario dental insurance coverage with affordable insurance plans from SBIS. Request a no-obligation quote or free information package today!